Clippers' lack of leadership starts with Kawhi Leonard

When the Los Angeles Clippers added Kawhi Leonard before the 2019-20 season, they got a wildly talented future Hall of Famer. They also handed over their franchise to a player who seems completely disinterested in leadership.

Now the team has sent veteran point guard Chris Paul home because his vocal leadership style reportedly "clashed" with head coach Ty Lue. It seems like his insistence on holding the team accountable didn't fit on a team that doesn't care about accountability.

Kawhi Leonard hasn't been accountable for much as a Clipper

Before Leonard even signed with the Clippers in 2019, he was making outsized demands of the team. He insisted the team pair him with another star, leading to the Clippers trading for All-Star Paul George, a move that cost them MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and several draft picks, including one that turned into all-NBA forward Jalen Williams and the Clippers' first-rounder in 2026.

He also allegedly requested an ownership stake in the team and sponsorship income for which he didn't have to do any work. The NBA is investigating Leonard's endorsement deal with Clippers sponsor Aspiration, where he seemingly received $48M for a no-show job.

It was more than just trade and salary demands. Leonard's camp didn't want the Clippers to talk about him publicly. As a result, the Clippers have been fined for lying about Leonard's health status. Due to Leonard's reticence, he forces teammates and coaches to field incessant questions about his status instead.

If Leonard is extremely quiet and only sporadically available, he can't be a team leader. He's not held to any standards and can't even be discussed, much less criticized — the Clippers fired announcer Bruce Bowen in 2018 for making mildly critical comments about Leonard, who wasn't on the team yet.

Chris Paul tried to fill a leadership vacuum

The Clippers have had a miserable start to the 2025-26 season, starting 5-16. While Leonard and James Harden have played well on the court, Leonard has been less than encouraging with his comments. After the Lakers blew out the Clippers last week, Leonard said the Clippers needed to "get more talent. Play with better talent," which is effectively a slap in the face to his teammates.

It's hard to say who the team leaders are. This summer, the Clippers traded veteran Norman Powell for John Collins, a player who's rarely been accused of being a leader. Nor has Bradley Beal, who is now out for the season. It doesn't seem like there's anyone to keep the Clippers accountable for their frequent lapses in effort.

Paul can be grating with his criticism, but he's been like that for his entire NBA career. Why did the Clippers bring in a 40-year-old like Paul, whose main selling point was his ability to set a strong team culture, if they didn't want him to do that? They sent Chris Paul home because he was acting too much like Chris Paul.

Three-quarters of the season still remain for the Clippers to turn things around. Is there anyone on the roster who's going to inspire them to do it?