The Golden State Warriors will be one of the teams most interested in acquiring Kawhi Leonard this season, and they may already have a trade package in mind. Jimmy Butler’s massive contract will likely be needed to match a player like Leonard. The Los Angeles Clippers could value Butler due to his contract only having one season left to clear up space faster.
The Proposed Trade Package
Fadeaway World reported the following trade package is most likely:
Golden State Warriors Receive: Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Jimmy Butler, Will Richard, 2028 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick swap
“The picks are the real selling point because Butler is older, more expensive, and not the cleaner long-term asset,” the report noted. “That is why this would be a bold Warriors swing, not an easy Clippers yes. But if the Warriors want one last real title shot around Curry, this is the type of aggressive gamble that at least makes sense on the numbers and on the floor.”
Leonard is the only player that Golden State would get, but they’d be able to save a lot of other assets for team depth or to acquire another star. Will Richard and draft compensation would be the selling point for the Clippers to get some talent for the future.
Should Golden State Trade Jimmy Butler?
The heartbreaking torn ACL injury for Butler ruined his season and killed any chance of Golden State contending for an NBA Championship this year. Butler tore the ACL in his right knee on Jan. 19 and underwent surgery on Feb. 9 . Butler is expected to miss a couple of months next season in a best-case scenario . Even at its best, an ACL tear requires a nine-month recovery, and it is not clear whether Butler will be ready for opening night of the 2026-27 season .
The Warriors trading Butler is the only way to dramatically improve the roster next season. Butler’s $56 million salary is too much money to waste on the injured list and is the only contract expensive enough to land most of the All-Star caliber players on the market.
Golden State must decide between being loyal to an injured player or trading him to improve Stephen Curry’s chances of contending for another title. Leonard is not coming to the Warriors unless they include Butler’s expiring deal. Risks would be involved for Golden State since Kawhi has a long history of injuries as well and is at an older age.
The Urgency: Curry’s Closing Championship Window
Golden State’s urgency starts with Stephen Curry. The franchise cornerstone turned 38 in March and has just one guaranteed year left on his deal after this season. In other words, the Warriors’ championship window with Curry at the helm is nearing a close .
The Warriors are clinging to the edge of playoff contention, and their current roster hasn’t consistently looked like a title threat. Injuries, most notably the season-ending ACL tear to Butler, have only reinforced the need for another elite option. That’s where Leonard enters the picture .
The Warriors gave up on the two-timeline approach when they sent Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline. Now it’s all about maximizing the home stretch of Curry’s career .
Why Clippers Would Accept This Deal
Roster flexibility is the most important thing for the Clippers moving forward. Los Angeles traded away both James Harden and Ivica Zubac this season to give up on the dreams of contending for an NBA Championship with Leonard leading the current roster.
It has become clear that the Clippers are looking to rebuild around recently acquired younger players Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin. Kawhi remained on the team this season as the leader after a bounce back season of incredible play. However, the Clippers will likely look to sell Leonard at his best value in many seasons.
New reporting confirms Golden State came close to acquiring Kawhi Leonard at the trade deadline, signaling a clear intent to make an aggressive push this summer . According to Tim Kawakami, the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers had “generally agreed” on the framework of a deal before the Clippers abruptly backed out. That near-miss now reads less like a one-off and more like a preview of Golden State’s offseason blueprint .
Two draft picks, a young new player, and Butler’s expiring contract give them some assets to improve the rebuilding timeline. The Clippers could even try to keep Butler in a similar role to Kawhi if he returns and plays well for them in the second half of next season.
The Leonard Reality: Still Elite When Healthy
Leonard poured in a career-high 27.9 points on impressive 50.5/38.7/89.2 shooting splits in 65 appearances for the Clippers this season . The 2-time Defensive Player of the Year also swiped 1.9 steals and compiled a solid 113 defensive rating per 100 possessions, proving to remain one of the elite two-way wings in the NBA.
Even with a lengthy injury history, Leonard is still producing at an MVP level. He’s averaging 27.9 points while shooting over 50% from the field and nearly 90% from the line . In short, when healthy, he remains one of the few players capable of shifting a championship race .
Leonard is entering the final season of his three-year $149.5 million contract once the 2026-27 campaign is underway . He would provide elite defense, shotmaking and some tertiary playmaking to help ease the burden on Stephen Curry .
The Wild Card: Clippers’ Public Stance
Despite the trade speculation, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank publicly committed to building around Kawhi Leonard on Friday, days after the 34-year-old forward deflected questions about his own future following the team’s play-in elimination .
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said at his end-of-season news conference . “At the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
Following Wednesday’s play-in loss to the Golden State Warriors, Leonard offered little insight into his intentions. “Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” he said. “We’ll have our discussions when that time comes.”
Leonard is eligible, starting on the day after the NBA Finals, to extend his contract for two additional seasons at a maximum of $126.1 million . He also faces an ongoing NBA investigation into his endorsement deal with now-bankrupt sponsor Aspiration, which could potentially void his contract . If the league voids his contract, Leonard would become an unrestricted free agent overnight, fundamentally reshaping the market .
The Verdict: A Risky but Necessary Gamble
The Warriors are at a crossroads. Their dynasty is fading. Their core is aging. Their championship window is closing.
Trading for Kawhi Leonard is a risk. He has a long history of injuries. He is 34 years old. He is owed $50.3 million.
But the Warriors have never been afraid of bold moves. They traded for Durant. They traded for Butler. They traded for Porzingis.
Now, they have their sights set on Leonard. And if they can pull it off, they will have one of the most formidable duos in the league: Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard.
It is a gamble worth taking. Because for the Warriors, the alternative is watching their dynasty fade without a fight. And that is not how champions go out.