In the current market, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain “neck-and-neck” for the best players to acquire via trade this summer. Teams like the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and others are already finalising the packages. But the San Antonio Spurs can quietly make a splash for the Klaw, and here is how they can achieve it.

“It might be time to bring Kawhi HOME” was the caption from FanDuel as it posted a hypothetical trade. For San Antonio to acquire Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers, they would have to part ways with De’Aaron Fox, Luke Kornet, and a 2029 first-round pick. This makes sense since the Spurs don’t have to give up a lot of assets or more than one high-value player. Victor Wembanyama isn’t going anywhere. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, for now, remain untouchable.

Leonard, if healthy, would be a huge upgrade at forward over Devin Vassell or Julian Champagnie. He comes with a championship pedigree in two cities and would cost far less than Antetokounmpo in a trade. His first championship came with the Spurs, where he played for his first seven NBA seasons before the unceremonious exit. Kawhi suffered a quad injury during the 2017–18 season and only played 9 games. The major disagreement between Kawhi’s camp and the Spurs’ medical staff was about whether he was healthy enough to return.

Reports said the Spurs doctors cleared him, while Kawhi still felt injured. That disagreement turned into a trust issue. Leonard eventually requested a trade. Many NBA players in the past have returned to their original franchise despite any previous issues. He is now entering the final year of a three-year, $149.51 million contract extension with the Clippers, which potentially makes him an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Clippers previously stated they’d like to “win with Kawhi,” but reports from Brett Siegel paint another picture.

“From the front office standpoint and if you’re looking at this through the lens of the Clippers future, it probably makes a lot more sense to just trade him in the off-season,” Siegel said. For the 2026-27 season, Leonard is owed $50.3 million, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP is eligible for an extension this summer. If the move doesn’t work, he has just one year left on his deal. So, San Antonio can move on in the summer of 2027. Which is why other teams are also eager to maximise their championship window.

Other suitors for Kawhi Leonard

Even though the Clippers crashed out in the Play-In, the Klaw averaged the most points per game in his career (27.9) and finished in the league’s top 10 in field goal, 2-point, and 3-point shooting percentage. More importantly, Leonard played 65 games, his second most since the 2016-17 season, when he played in 74 for the San Antonio Spurs. If the 34-year-old can replicate such output is what the other teams are hoping for.

The Warriors are the most likely landing spot for Kawhi Leonard, who prefers to play in California to be close to his family. Clippers receive Jimmy Butler, Gui Santos, No. 11 overall pick from the upcoming loaded NBA draft, and the 2028 First-Round Pick. Similarly, the Miami Heat is looking for an overhaul. Tyler Herro, Jamie Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, No. 13 pick from the 2026 draft, 2030 First-Round Pick, is what the Clippers can expect in return.

This contains multiple long-term young pieces and draft capital to strengthen the team and provide financial flexibility. For now, the buzz around the trade for Klaw draws parallels to the Spurs to Raptors trade of 2018.