The Detroit Pistons’ pursuit of Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard appears to be fading, according to multiple NBA insiders, after reports surfaced indicating the two-time champion has no interest in signing a long-term extension with the franchise even if he were traded there.
The shift in tone comes after weeks of speculation connecting Leonard to Detroit, fueled in part by the Pistons’ broader effort to add proven star power around point guard Cade Cunningham. But according to a HoopsHype report published Sunday, that chatter “has lessened over the past few days,” following Detroit’s acquisition of sharpshooting guard Isaiah Joe and persistent league rumblings that Leonard simply isn’t interested in committing to the Motor City long-term.
A contract situation forcing a decision
Leonard’s looming free agency timeline has been the driving force behind the speculation. The 34-year-old forward is entering the final year of his contract with the Clippers, set to earn $50.3 million in the 2026-27 season on a deal that carries no player or team option. Without a new extension in place, Leonard would become an unrestricted free agent the following summer, creating pressure on Los Angeles to either lock him into a new deal or consider moving him before he can leave for nothing in return.
NBA insider Chris Haynes addressed that dynamic directly during an appearance on NBA TV. “If an extension is not worked out, I expect the Clippers look to move Kawhi,” Haynes said. “I don’t expect that he will stay and play on an expiring deal.”
Leonard’s stance on Detroit
Despite Detroit’s reported interest, multiple reports indicate Leonard has made clear he wouldn’t be willing to sign long-term with the Pistons even if a trade were arranged. According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Leonard “would not be amenable to extending his contract” if he ended up in Detroit. That detail has effectively undercut the rationale for the Pistons to pursue a trade in the first place, since acquiring a 34-year-old star already dealing with a significant injury history on what would amount to an expiring, one-year rental carries far less appeal for a team built around a young core.
Fischer’s reporting indicated Leonard’s preferences point elsewhere entirely. According to multiple outlets citing Fischer, Leonard would only be open to signing an extension with two franchises: the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors, both of which represent earlier stops in his career.
A history with the Spurs and Raptors
Leonard’s connection to those two organizations runs deep. He spent his first seven NBA seasons with San Antonio, where he developed into a two-way star and won a championship and Finals MVP award. The Spurs traded him to Toronto in 2018, and in his lone season with the Raptors, Leonard led the franchise to its only championship in team history, defeating the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals before signing with the Clippers that offseason.
Fischer reported that the Raptors have shown genuine interest in reacquiring Leonard should the Clippers make him available, a scenario that would pair him alongside Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram in Toronto’s frontcourt.
Where the Clippers currently stand
For now, Los Angeles appears committed to keeping Leonard rather than actively shopping him. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, multiple teams, including the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit, have contacted the Clippers both at the trade deadline and during this offseason to inquire about Leonard’s availability. “At no point did Los Angeles show any interest in trading him, sources said,” Siegel reported, adding that Leonard’s camp has given no indication that the star is unhappy with the organization.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has reportedly blocked trade discussions involving Leonard, preferring to continue building around him. The team has already reshaped its supporting cast this offseason, sending James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and dealing center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, which the Clippers used to select guard Keaton Wagler.
Complicating factors beyond basketball
Leonard’s situation in Los Angeles also carries an unresolved off-court complication. He remains the subject of a league investigation into allegations of off-book payments allegedly funneled to him and his associates through Clippers-affiliated subsidiaries. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the network’s “Get Up” that he is unsure whether the league would permit the Clippers to trade Leonard while that investigation remains open.
Leonard’s continued production
Whatever uncertainty surrounds his contract situation, Leonard’s on-court performance last season did little to diminish his standing as one of the league’s premier two-way forwards when healthy. He appeared in 65 games, one of his higher totals in recent years, averaging a career-best 27.9 points per game along with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals, earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing seventh in MVP voting.
That production explains why Detroit’s interest, even if largely one-sided, was never far-fetched on paper. A core built around Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Leonard would have given the Pistons one of the more formidable frontcourts in the Eastern Conference, coming off a 60-22 season that already represented a major step forward for the franchise.
With Leonard reportedly uninterested in Detroit and the Clippers showing no appetite to move him, the Pistons appear set to pivot their remaining offseason attention elsewhere as free agency opens this week. For Leonard, the more relevant question now is whether Los Angeles ultimately works out an extension to keep him beyond next season, or whether his preference for a potential return to San Antonio or Toronto becomes the more realistic outcome if the Clippers can’t reach a long-term agreement before his contract expires.
