What is the most important thing for Kawhi Leonard? When the star wing relocated from the Toronto Raptors to the Los Angeles Clippers, a desire to be close to home was oft-publicized as the reason for him abandoning a team that had just won a championship. Does that make LA his main priority?
That is what the Los Angeles Lakers will have to be wondering ahead of the summer, for good reason. One way or another, there is a shot that Leonard ends up leaving the Clippers before the offseason is over.
The first of those scenarios involves the oddly-forgotten scandal that Leonard and his franchise were caught in. The Clippers were called out by Pablo Torre for circumventing the cap to get Kawhi a payday outside of his contract. Since that claim, the NBA entered an investigation that has been ongoing and placed on the backburner ever since.
One would have to imagine some type of punishment eventually comes from that scandal at some point. If it does, Leonard suddenly becoming a free agent would not be surprising. Even if Adam Silver does not deal a heavy hand, the Clippers could have another reason to split from Leonard on the horizon.
Kawhi Leonard may be forced to answer what matters most to him
In looking at the six storylines that are already shaping the NBA offseason, Brian Windhorst addressed how the Clippers started a youth movement midway through the 2025-26 season. If that does continue, Windy mentioned that 34-year-old Leonard begins to stick out immediately. That is especially true considering Kawhi is on the last year of his deal.
ESPN insider Tim MacMahon brought up that a contract renewal with the Clippers would need to involve a sizable decrease to Leonard's salary.
MacMahon said: "My understanding is, if there's going to be an extension, there's going to be some legitimate negotiations. ... He's going to have to take a pay cut, I believe, to end up extending with the Clippers.”
If money matters just as much, if not more, than being close to home, that could start a Leonard sweepstakes on the trade market.
That is, of course, if the NBA does not deal out punishment to him and the Clippers that involves an exit from his current franchise. Should Leonard hit free agency as a result, that same question will be relevant.
Even in his advanced age, there should be some level of interest from the Lakers' end, given the solid fit on the wings. If Leonard is intent on staying in Los Angeles, the alternative to the Clippers is right there, just across town.
A max contract would be unlikely, hence why the decision of money versus home would be so important to the dynamic. If Leonard prefers Los Angeles above everything else, the Lakers would have to ask themselves if they want Kawhi in the building.
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