Kawhi Leonard Reacts To The LA Clippers Moves At The Trade Deadline

For years now, the Los Angeles Clippers have been seen as a contender in the Western Conference, but even with stars like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden on their team in that time, they've struggled to live up to expectations. Those struggles continued early in 2025/26, and while they turned things around significantly, the team became major sellers at the 2026 NBA trade deadline as they currently sit in 10th place in the standings out West.

Their two biggest moves involved dealing James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, while picking up significant future assets for Ivica Zubac in a deal with the Indiana Pacers. Many believe this is an effort to move on from their core, and while Leonard remains, he was clearly frustrated with some of the moves when he addressed the deadline recently.

“I thought we were tracking well the last 6 weeks… It’s a complete turnaround from what I thought we could potentially do.”

Clearly, the Clippers and their top star aren't quite on the same page, and with the team now looking like a franchise without a major direction moving forward, Leonard could be the next to get moved.

Ultimately, this is a team that's failed to live up to expectations every step of the way, and in hindsight, selling was the right move for these Clippers, but unless they continue on the path they've decided upon, things could change rather quickly moving forward.