Insider links Kawhi Leonard to two intriguing teams

While the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer were dealing with a salary cap circumvention investigation, Kawhi Leonard had his healthiest season in Los Angeles.

The former Finals MVP turned back the clock and played at an elite level again, showing that he was far from done after years of injuries.

As such, and given the ongoing scandal, it's not much of a surprise to hear that other teams may want to lure him away from Inglewood.

However, knowing a return to one of his former teams would be considered a bit of a shocker. According to ESPN insider Bobby Marks, however, such a move is possible.

Raptors, Spurs are keeping tabs on Kawhi Leonard

"Extension eligible, he's got two years left. I mean, I think there's a lot of playoff teams keeping an eye on what happens with Kawhi Leonard," Marks told his ESPN colleagues during the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft (h/t Oh No He Didn't). 

Then, when pressed to share some more intel, Marks simply said: "Maybe his former teams; I'll leave it at that."

Leonard has only played for the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors, so the list to speculate on isn't that long.

His days in Texas ended on a sour note. He and his camp reportedly didn't like how the Spurs handled his injuries, and he essentially forced his way up north to Canada.

Then, he won another championship in his lone season with the Raptors, just to leave in one of the most infamous free-agency sagas in recent NBA history.

Leonard is still a two-way superstar, though injury concerns, a lack of postseason success in the 2020s and the narrative surrounding his uncle Dennis and the salary cap circumvention might make him a bit of a problem for the Clippers.

Then again, moving on from him would essentially end their championship aspirations, though it could possibly set them up to succeed in the future. 

Ballmer has been adamant about keeping Leonard, and the Golden State Warriors are reportedly keeping tabs on him as well, so it'll be interesting to see how this saga unfolds and how much any team is willing to bid for his services.