The Golden State Warriors showed serious interest in acquiring Kawhi Leonard during the NBA trade deadline last February, viewing the star forward as a potential catalyst to return the franchise to contention.
At the time, the team was actively exploring ways to move Jonathan Kuminga and saw Leonard as a high-upside target despite the complications surrounding him.
Those complications centered on an ongoing investigation into alleged salary-cap circumvention tied to a no-show endorsement deal with a company called Aspiration, along with questions about other arrangements.
The Clippers ultimately kept Leonard through the deadline, and some observers believed their engagement in talks was more about positioning for summer moves than completing a deal then. When the offseason arrived, however, the Warriors chose not to re-enter the pursuit in a meaningful way.
Landing Leonard would have required surrendering Jimmy Butler plus at least two first-round draft picks, and it would have hinged on Leonard signaling openness to an extension.
That willingness appeared doubtful once Toronto emerged as a preferred destination, a path that eventually led to his trade to the Raptors.
Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater of ESPN later explained the shift in the team’s thinking. Speaking on “The Hoops Collective” podcast, Slater explained the situation.
“The Warriors were really, like, into the Kawhi Leonard idea at the trade deadline, last February. They were less into that idea this summer,” Slater said. “Part of it is the Kawhi extension, and Kawhi wanted to direct himself to Toronto, I think we would agree that was part of the trade complexities. But also, I think part of it is, they sniffed around the league a little bit and maybe there was punishment heading Kawhi’s way and that might have warded off some suitors.”
Additional reporting had raised questions about another arrangement involving the Clippers’ scoreboard company, Daktronics, adding to the sense of lingering risk.
The investigation remains unresolved in mid-August, with indications it could stretch into 2027. That uncertainty has broader implications across the league.
As podcast host Brian Windhorst noted: “The actual business of the NBA, for the 2026-27 season, this is an issue. Last year, it was a Clippers issue, now it is no longer just a Clippers issue. Whether Kawhi Leonard is on the Raptors or not has a huge circumstantial fallout in the Eastern Conference. And then obviously, DeMar DeRozan is held up to a certain extent and some other players–James Harden’s business with the Cavs because they’re waiting on things.”
The trade that sent Leonard to Toronto, involving Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a package of draft assets, could still face disruption if penalties materialize.
Many expect the deal to hold and Leonard to be in place by training camp. Yet if the situation unravels, the Warriors could theoretically revisit the idea.
For now, their decision to step back may prove prudent, shielding them from a controversy that continues to cloud multiple franchises and slow the league’s offseason business.
