Frank confirms Kawhi Leonard remains central to their strategy, even after major roster shake-ups, with plans to build around him.
Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank left no doubt this week that the front office still views Kawhi Leonard as a key piece of the franchise's plans moving forward, even after a pair of blockbuster trades reshaped the roster at the deadline.
The Clippers moved James Harden and Ivica Zubac in the days leading up to the February 5 trade deadline, bringing back younger players and future draft picks in the process.
But Leonard, who is under contract through the 2026-27 season, was never on the table. Frank addressed Leonard's role going forward in his post-deadline media availability and did not hold back in his praise.
"We definitely see a scenario where he's part of the group going forward," Frank said. "We can continue and look forward to building with Kawhi, while still acknowledging we're going to need more."
Frank went on to detail the different avenues the front office plans to explore to surround Leonard with the right talent.
"We'll go through every step of what that looks like, whether it's free agency, whether it's a trade, whether it's the draft," he said. "But Kawhi has been a great partner, and I anticipate him being a great partner moving forward."
Leonard Has Been on a Tear
The timing of Frank's comments lines up with what has been a dominant stretch of basketball from Leonard.
The two-time Finals MVP is averaging 28.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season while shooting 49.5 percent from the field across 39 games.
He dropped 41 points in Sunday's 115-96 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, extending his streak of scoring 20 or more points to 31 straight games, which is a career best.
Over his last eight games since returning from a minor ankle issue, Leonard has been averaging 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while playing just under 30 minutes a night.
He was also recently added to the 2026 All-Star Game roster after initially being left off, which caused plenty of backlash around the league given the numbers he has been putting up.
Why It Makes Sense to Keep Kawhi
With the Clippers sitting at 25-27 and ninth in the Western Conference as of February 9, the front office is clearly thinking about both the present and the future.
The deadline deals brought in Darius Garland from Cleveland, along with Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and multiple first-round picks from Indiana.
Garland is just 26 years old, Mathurin is 23 and was averaging 17.8 points per game with the Pacers, and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser has already shown flashes of potential, scoring 15 points in Sunday's win.
Having Leonard around to mentor and elevate a younger group makes plenty of sense for a franchise that is trying to pivot toward the future without bottoming out entirely.
When Leonard is on the floor, the Clippers are a completely different team.
They went 7-1 in the eight games before the trade deadline with him in the lineup, and he has consistently shown this season that he can still perform at an elite level when healthy.
A core of Garland, Mathurin, Niederhauser and whatever the Clippers add through the draft alongside a still-dominant Leonard gives the franchise a real foundation to build on.
Leonard himself seemed at peace with the direction of the team after Friday's win in Sacramento, saying the front office is "just trying to get younger" and that it "makes sense for them to try to get some assets and try to build for the future."
As long as he keeps playing at the level he has been playing at this season, it is hard to argue with Frank's vision of keeping him at the center of whatever comes next for the Los Angeles Clippers.