Kawhi Leonard to the Warriors? It's More Possible Than You Might Think

What are the Los Angeles Clippers cooking?

After Lady Luck smiled down on the organization during the NBA Draft Lottery, when they acquired the fifth pick from the Indiana Pacers, who would have kept it if it were in the top four, they might continue gambling this upcoming offseason.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, who covered the draft lottery, the Clippers seem open to moving off the fifth pick if it means opening the door to a brighter future.

While the Clippers have been nonstop putting all their chips in the middle since Steve Ballmer took over, that might be changing following what appears to be the end of the Kawhi Leonard era in Los Angeles.

Although Leonard is still an elite player when he’s healthy, his lack of presence for the team over the years left a lot to be desired for a franchise still searching for its first NBA Finals appearance.

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This leads to the Golden State Warriors, who seem to be in the exact opposite mode of the Clippers. They know the clock is winding down on Steph Curry’s career, and if it means blowing up the next decade, the Warriors seem willing to throw the dice if it means that their face of the franchise gets one or two last shots at the crown.

If the Clippers are willing to part ways with the fifth pick and Leonard, the Warriors would have to send over a recovering Jimmy Butler, along with a king’s ransom of first-round picks.

For the Clippers, they’d be doing the same as the Oklahoma City Thunder did to them so long ago, when they parted ways with Paul George to receive endless first-round picks and an up-and-coming talent named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

While the Warriors don’t have a young player anywhere near SGA’s skill ceiling, they could swing for Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski if they felt like it.

Overall, though, it’d be planning for the future for the Clippers, who would still get a good prospect with Golden State’s 11th pick.

And even in a world where the Clippers want to hold onto that fifth pick, a flip of Leonard to the Warriors is still possible, albeit with far fewer first-round picks going the way of Los Angeles.

For the first time, Ballmer might play the wait-and-see game. And if they find a deal worth striking with the Warriors, his biggest bet will be that he can laugh at Golden State in a few years, as Oklahoma City are laughing at the Clippers now.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 11:28 PM.