Even scouts are confused about what to do.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a Kawhi Leonard problem this summer, and the league cannot seem to agree on how the front office should solve it.
Leonard has one year left on his contract at $50.3 million for 2026-27, and starting this summer he is eligible for a two-year extension worth up to $126.1 million.
Los Angeles finished 42-40 and got bounced from the play-in tournament by the Golden State Warriors on April 15, the team's first missed playoff in four years.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps recently pulled two scout takes from around the league, and the split between them basically tells the whole story.
The Scouts Weigh In
"I would just play it out and not extend him," a West scout said. "He clearly wants to be in Los Angeles, so I wouldn't be in a rush to lock him in early."
"I'd extend him," an East scout said, "but it has to be on a deal that makes sense for the team, given his injury history."
Both takes are fair.
Leonard just played the best basketball of his career, but his body has not been reliable for most of his Clippers tenure, and locking in a max deal that runs through his age-36 year is a real gamble.
Los Angeles has to figure out how to reward the guy who basically saved its season without handing him another long contract that ages badly.
Why the Clippers Should Extend Him
Leonard put up a career-high 27.9 points to go with 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 games while shooting over 50 percent from the floor.
He pulled this team out of a brutal 6-21 hole almost by himself, and 65 games is the most he has played since 2017.
He also reportedly has no real interest in leaving Inglewood, which hands Lawrence Frank some leverage.
The Clippers can take their time at the negotiating table and build in protections if the body starts to break down again.
Why They Should Hesitate
Kawhi turns 35 in late June, and his injury history during his time in Los Angeles has been ugly.
The Aspiration investigation is still out there, and signing him to another big-money deal before the league finishes weighing penalties seems risky.
The Clippers already shipped James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline to get younger, so tying up future cap space in a player headed for his late 30s pretty much undoes that pivot.
Assessing the Trade Market
If they cannot make the math work, the trade market is there.
ESPN has put together packages involving the Pistons, Heat, Warriors and Rockets, and the three-team mock with Detroit sends back two firsts and a young wing in Ron Holland II.
None of those offers wow the 42-40 Clippers, but Kawhi's value is as high as it will ever be, and a year from now the return only gets worse.
However the front office plays this, sitting on their hands until 2027 is no longer a choice.