The Golden State Warriors are known to have spent the pre-trade deadline period pursuing a Hall of Famer: Giannis Antetokounmpo. Such a deal would have cost Golden State virtually all of its trade assets if it were even possible and, sure enough, Golden State couldn’t push an Antetokounmpo deal across the finish line. However, according to Marc Stein, he wasn’t the only legend the Warriors tried to land.
The Warriors made a “determined trade run” at Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, the veteran insider reported Sunday, amid one of the best seasons of his career. In many ways, a Leonard deal makes more sense on paper than an Antetokounmpo blockbuster would have.Â
The biggest reason for that is price. The Bucks will command a king’s ransom for Giannis. The Clippers, with an investigation into Leonard’s dealings with Aspiration hanging over their heads, were likely open to moving Leonard for less, especially after moving James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline. Leonard is also a cleaner fit onto a Golden State roster that already includes Draymond Green and the currently injured Jimmy Butler, given his superior shooting.
Obviously, no trade materialized. But the Warriors have been incredibly aggressive in pursuing talent to put around Stephen Curry as he ages into his golden years, at least by NBA standards. In addition to their Antetokounmpo pursuit this year, the Warriors were reportedly in on “every star” at the 2025 deadline before securing Butler. After missing out on Giannis, the Warriors landed Kristaps Porziņģis in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga. That deal has thus far gone well for Golden State, and the Warriors will likely attempt to re-sign Porziņģis in free agency.
But they’ll also surely resume their star pursuits and, while Antetokounmpo is going to be at the top of everyone’s list, don’t be surprised if they take another crack at the more reasonably priced Leonard. This of course assumes that he’s even capable of being traded. Depending on the findings of the NBA’s investigation into Leonard and Aspiration, it’s possible that his existing contract gets voided and he becomes a free agent. The Warriors have no clear cap space to free up, so they’ll have to hope his deal remains intact and tradable.
Even then, cost will be a factor. Golden State would presumably use Butler’s expiring contract as the matching salary and offer draft picks as value. The Warriors largely control their own capital moving forward, so meeting whatever the Clippers’ price might be would be reasonably doable. Such an acquisition would send Golden State into next season with a core of Curry, Leonard, Green and Porziņģis. That’s certainly older and more injury-prone than a contender would prefer, but the skill sets would mesh together nicely and give the Warriors their most talented foursome in years.
For now, the Warriors may face Leonard in the Play-In Tournament. They hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference while the Clippers are No. 8. But both of these teams are going to have active offseasons. The Clippers started their path to a mini rebuild with those Harden and Zubac trades, and with Leonard aging and his value at a recent high, it makes sense to consider moving him at this peak. The Warriors, meanwhile, are seemingly willing to do what it takes to put a winner around Curry as his legendary career comes to a close. It’s too early to say for certain what the Leonard landscape might look like this summer, but if the Clippers do indeed field offers, it seems like a safe bet that the Warriors present one.