Could Kawhi Leonard be headed to Dallas?
While the Los Angeles Clippers would like to welcome Kawhi Leonard back for a seventh season, his future with the franchise is in doubt as he has yet to sign an extension.
Kawhi is set to enter the last year of his deal, and the Clippers are reportedly more serious than ever about trading him if no extension is reached before the start of next season.
A trade could come sooner rather than later as Los Angeles weighs its options going into the offseason and looks to best construct the roster moving forward. The team has gotten younger over the past year, acquiring Darius Garland for James Harden and Bennedict Mathurin for Ivica Zubac. They also selected Keaton Wagler with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 draft.
A Deal With The Mavericks?
According to reports, if he was to be traded, Kawhi would only sign an extension with the Toronto Raptors or San Antonio Spurs, the only other two teams he's played for in his career.
However, the Athletic reports that the Clippers did speak to the Dallas Mavericks about a potential trade.
“The Mavericks and LA Clippers have discussed a deal that would send the seven-time All-Star Leonard to Dallas for a package that would include P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson and draft picks, league sources said,"
It is unclear how far talks got or have gotten if Kawhi was unwilling to sign an extension with Dallas.
A Good Deal For Los Angeles?
The Clippers could still owe their first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2027 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2029. They are without their first-round pick in 2028. They have every reason to want to remain competitive moving forward.
Adding Klay Thompson and PJ Washington doesn't move the needle as much as the reported deal with the Toronto Raptors, where they would get RJ Barrett or Brandon Ingram in return.
The draft compensation would change the deal as the Mavericks are likely to give up more picks than the Raptors, and maybe that's enough to make up the difference for Los Angeles.
Acquiring Thompson and Washington would put more pressure on Garland and Mathurin to deliver, as both guys are more complementary players at this stage rather than offensive drivers.
It could still be worth it to Los Angeles if the draft compensation is good, especially with the changing lottery rules and the lottery luck the Clippers got this past year.
