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| Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. Photo: Getty Images. |
According to league insiders, several members of the Clippers organization are quietly pushing for a clean break from the two-time Finals MVP who was once expected to deliver the franchise’s first-ever championship.
Leonard signed with the Clippers in the summer of 2019 amid massive fanfare. But six years later, L.A. still hasn’t sniffed the NBA Finals, and Leonard has suited up in less than half of the team’s games. While his talent remains undeniable, the reality has been frustrating: extended injuries, unpredictable availability, and what one insider described as “a nightmare to manage.”
Some people within the Clippers organization had grown frustrated with Kawhi Leonard’s injuries and lack of availability, per @Baxter
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 17, 2025
“Leonard entered the 2023-24 season eligible for a contract extension. As the Clippers considered their options, a former team staffer said some… pic.twitter.com/NlyRnqwvQR
The contract complicates things further. Leonard is locked in through 2027, earning $50 million next season and $50.3 million the year after. That’s a massive figure for a superstar who hasn’t been consistently on the floor when it matters most.
Fans will never forget the 2020 bubble collapse when the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead to Denver, a meltdown that still haunts the franchise. A year later, Leonard tore his ACL against Utah, sidelining him for the entire 2021-22 season.
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| Kawhi Leonard. Photo: AP. |
Since then, it’s been a cycle of comebacks followed by new setbacks: a meniscus tear in 2023, knee issues again in 2024, and just 37 appearances this past season before another playoff exit at the hands of the Nuggets.
Yet beyond the injuries, off-court controversy now shadows Leonard. A bombshell report linked him to a $48 million “no-show job” with the now-bankrupt financial firm Aspiration — a deal allegedly tied to Clippers investors and designed to skirt the NBA salary cap. The optics of that arrangement, combined with the team’s lack of postseason success, has only deepened frustrations internally.
EXCLUSIVE: @PabloTorre is back with more receipts — on Steve Ballmer, Uncle Dennis and more.
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 18, 2025
Grand total, per newly uncovered documents: The Clippers and their execs sent Aspiration $118M in 18 months, as Kawhi Leonard's camp pushed for "no-show" payments. pic.twitter.com/wlE1QBK4g4
Despite flashes of brilliance — including All-NBA honors as recently as 2024 — the big picture is hard to ignore. For all the hope his arrival once promised, Leonard’s time in Los Angeles may ultimately be remembered more for “what ifs” than banners.
For Steve Ballmer and the Clippers brass, the question is no longer whether Kawhi can still play at an elite level when healthy. It’s whether the organization can afford to keep waiting for that health to hold. And by the sound of things, many inside the building are ready to stop waiting altogether.