Kawhi Leonard brushes off questions about Clippers future, will discuss it ‘when that time comes'

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Kawhi Leonard brushes off questions about Clippers future, will discuss it ‘when that time comes' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A high-profile, but largely unsuccessful era of the Los Angeles Clippers may have ended on Wednesday night.

In the season after they let Paul George leave town, then proceeded to trade both James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the 2025-26 deadline while also parting ways with Chris Paul, the Clippers opted to keep star forward Kawhi Leonard around.

Leonard, who is still one of the focal points of an ongoing NBA investigation into potential cap circumvention, is coming off one of his best career seasons — but now, his status in Los Angeles could be up in the air as the franchise looks toward the future.

Here's what Leonard said after Wednesday's Play-In Tournament loss about the Clippers' future.

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Kawhi Leonard addresses Clippers' future​

Despite starting out 6-21 this season, the Clippers crawled back into playoff contention, leading to their elimination in the Play-In Tournament by the Golden State Warriors. There were some high points — Leonard was an All-Star, playing in 65 games and setting a career-high in points per game (27.9) — but now, there are major questions about the future of the franchise.

"Let me cry about this loss a little bit more," Leonard said Wednesday when asked whether he could see a future with the Clippers, per ESPN. "We'll have our discussions when that time comes."

Los Angeles, which is set to give its first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, has continually been parting ways with its stars in the past year, from letting George walk to trading Harden. Of the core players who have been around for years, Leonard has remained — since he joined the Clippers in 2019, the team has made five playoff trips, with one conference finals appearance and three first-round exits.

After landing Darius Garland in the Harden trade and giving some minutes to players like Bennedict Mathurin and Jordan Miller, the Clippers may be due for some kind of rebuild, missing the playoffs in 2025-26 despite a terrific second half.

With Leonard, it's not just trade buzz that could surround him this offseason. There's also the looming NBA investigation into the Clippers' potential cap circumvention with the star's contract.

"I never thought about it too much other than questions asked," Leonard said about the investigation on Wednesday, per ESPN. "You'll have to ask the NBA, not me. I'm not the one doing the investigation. ... I think we're going to be in the clear. I'm not stressing it."

MORE: What's next for the Clippers after Play-In Tournament elimination?

Kawhi Leonard contract​

If Leonard is going to part ways with the Clippers, it would have to be via trade. He isn't a free agent this offseason, and his current contract lasts through the 2026-27 season, making him an expiring deal this offseason.

Leonard is playing on a three-year, $149.5 million extension he signed with the Clippers in 2024. Per Spotrac, he had a cap hit of $50 million this season and will have a cap hit of $50.3 million next season.

MORE: The latest on the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration investigation

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