If the LA Clippers received trade calls one month ago on Kawhi Leonard, their decision would have been obvious. He was healthy at the end of last season and to start 2025-26, which felt perfect, as the Clippers wanted Leonard to remain available with the right crowd of James Harden and Bradley Beal. However, four weeks and some change later, Lawrence Frank has a straightforward rationale to barter his contract based on his atrocious plus-minus numbers.
In the Clippers’ 18 games, Leonard has missed ten. Still, the front office would not mind, as regular-season absences with the two-time champion are a trade-off for playoff availability. But, with a total plus-minus this season of -57, and an average of -7.1, the validation to trade him is bright and clear.
That said, a superstar-needy team will be willing to part ways with a draft pick they hold to attain Leonard, even if his background is being searched machine with consequences that are still unpredictable.
The LA Clippers must have Kawhi Leonard on the 2026 trade block
With 13 losses, Kawhi Leonard’s plus-minus is not expected to be neutral, or in the positives. It should be, as the LA Clippers are filling his bank statement with $50 million this season, but with much of the rotation struggling, a slight negative statistic is understandable.
In fact, James Harden, who has been the Clippers’ most valuable player by a clear, significant margin, averaging 27.9 points and 8.4 assists, has a negative plus-minus of -2.1.
On the contrary, despite being the Clippers’ top-paid player, Leonard’s performance is far worse, and particularly, the worst on the team.
Thus, the Clippers are evidently wrong to spend valuable dollars on a franchise player who is compromising victories. He may be scoring a lot at a rate of 23.1 per game, but his overall impact is in the gutter, backing up why the front office should intend to make a blockbuster trade.
If the Clippers let teams know prior to the trade season that Leonard is being shopped, then by February, a first-round pick could be the primary return. This is not a large haul for a star like Leonard, yet it could be re-routed in a deal for a young guard like LaMelo Ball.
Nonetheless, the Clippers should be urgent in pursuing a trade involving Leonard. This must happen as soon as possible, as the more patience LA has, the more disappointing the return will be.