The future is uncertain for several NBA stars heading into the offseason. A Kawhi Leonard trade is feeling less like a possibility and more like a certainty. The big question is what the Los Angeles Clippers could get for the future Hall of Famer. There is also uncertainty about who would pay it. A perfect trade partner could be the Washington Wizards, who hold the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
For starters, the Wizards have a perfect player swap to ensure the money matches up in a trade involving draft picks. Leonard is scheduled to make $50 million next year and a little more than that in 2027. Anthony Davis will make $54 million in 2026-27, then $58 million, with a player option for 2029 at $63 million. This salary would be enough to match up with Leonard’s and the projected salaries of the acquired picks.
Picks plural, because while the first pick in the draft is a great get, it’s not enough to offset taking on Davis’ monster salary for the next three years, and his 80 total games played since 2024. The kicker would be an unprotected first-round pick in 2029. Why 2029? That’s because a team can not trade their first-round pick in consecutive seasons per NBA bylaws. They could do a pick swap, but the addition of Leonard could make Washington a playoff team next year, so a swap would be trading back for the Clippers.
Leonard’s contract will be up in 2028, and given his mysterious ways, it would not be shocking to see him bolt the nation’s capital once he’s no longer contractually obligated to be there. Therefore, the 2028-29 season would be the team’s first without Leonard and potentially without Trae Young, who also becomes a free agent in the summer of 2028. That means the Wizards’ 2029 first-round pick would be a good one.
A Kawhi Leonard Trade Makes Sense for Both Teams
Starting with Washington, the trade would pair Leonard and Young to form arguably the league’s best backcourt. Not only that, but because they are only trading Davis, the team could keep its great young prospects Alexandre Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington, as well as crafty veteran D’Angelo Russel. The trade gives Washington the perfect blend of superstars, veterans, and young players to form a playoff cocktail. Leonard is better than anyone in this draft, so the trade is a no-brainer.
It makes even more sense for Los Angeles. Davis had arguably his best season in the City of Angels, so maybe he could recapture some of that magic. If not, no worries, because not only would the Clippers have the top pick, but they hold the fifth pick as well, thanks to a trade with the Indiana Pacers. Whether they chose to take AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, or Cam Boozer at the top of the draft, they’d still have another selection four picks later.
Sitting at five could be point guards Darius Acuff and Kingston Fleming. North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson could be there, or in a stroke of amazing luck, maybe they get Dybantsa at one, and wicked rumors about Peterson cause him to fall to five. No matter what happens, they are going to roll out a squad with two of the top five players in the draft: Anthony Davis, Darius Garland, and Bradley Beal. Like the Wizards, a great blend.
It’s possible this proposed trade is too logical for people who work in NBA front offices. It’s likely they will choose to do something that makes far less sense, but in a perfect world, this would be the perfect trade.
