Did the Clippers Trade Kawhi Leonard Too Late?

The Kawhi Leonard era is finally over in Los Angeles. After the cap circumvention investigation that lasted for the last year came to an end a few weeks ago, the trade that sent Leonard to Toronto was finalized.

The Clippers received Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap in exchange for Leonard. Given the circumstances, this was a solid return for the Clippers.

But could they have gotten more if they had traded him earlier? Did the Clippers make a mistake by holding onto Kawhi just to trade him this offseason?

Before we dig deep into the reasons why, the short answer is yes.

Clippers Could Have Gotten More for Kawhi Leonard Before This Summer

The writing was on the wall for the Clippers at the 2026 trade deadline. They had started the season 6-21, and it became clear that they weren't going anywhere. They had improved to 23-27 by the deadline, but James Harden had already asked to be traded, and the Clippers received an offer they couldn't refuse for Ivica Zubac.

The moment Harden and Zubac were out, the Clippers should have explored the trade market for Leonard.

At the time, Leonard was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career. Adding a healthy Kawhi for the final stretch of the season and the playoffs would have been a very attractive option for many teams. The Golden State Warriors were reportedly very interested. If Leonard were truly available, plenty of teams would have aggressively pursued him.

Kawhi wouldn't have had the leverage to dictate where he wanted to go at that point. Even if he didn't reassure the acquiring team that he would sign an extension, the possibility of having Leonard for two postseason runs would have been enough to convince teams to go all-in on the superstar.

The fact that Leonard only had one year left on his deal this summer suppressed his market. Plus, he reportedly said he would only sign an extension with the Spurs, and the Raptors. This likely lowered the trade offers.

If the Clippers had been willing to move on from Kawhi six months ago or even in the 2025 offseason, they could have gotten more. Two years of Kawhi, without the threat of departure in free agency, are clearly worth more than a season of 35-year-old Leonard.

It's not like the Clippers got anything out of keeping Kawhi for another couple of months. They made a run in the final stretch of the season and finished 42-40. But their season ended with a Play-In loss at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.

LA extended the Leonard era as much as they could. They wanted to remain relevant and competitive, but it would have been more beneficial for them to have seen the writing on the wall over the last year. Having a couple more first-round picks would have especially helped them after the NBA took away five of their future first-rounders.