The Los Angeles Lakers are playing the best basketball we’ve seen in recent memory, but on the flip side the Los Angeles Clippers are faltering, and could be nearing a trade of their star Kawhi Leonard. For the Lakers, in need of another elite star to pair with their young core, acquiring Kawhi could be a game-changing move. With the 2025-26 season underway (as of November 11), the Lakers sit at 8-3 and lead the Pacific Division.
Kawhi Leonard to the Lakers: Potential Trade Idea
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: 2026 1st, 2027 1st, F Rui Hachimura, G Dalton Knecht
The Lakers have built a core of emerging talent—players like Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura—with impressive early-season stats already showing promise. Through eleven games Dončić is averaging 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists; Reaves is posting 30.3 points; Ayton, 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds; and Hachimura contributes 16.3 points in 34.7 minutes per night.
Even with those numbers, the Lakers still lack a definitive two-way wing who can consistently guard elite opponents and score efficiently from multiple levels. Kawhi Leonard, averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season for the Clippers, remains one of the league’s premier two-way forwards.
Adding Leonard to this supporting cast instantly elevates the Lakers’ ceiling. He brings championship experience, elite defensive acumen, and a mid-range and three-point shooting arsenal that fits perfectly alongside Dončić and Reaves. While the Lakers shoot 33.9% from three on team volume this season,
Leonard’s offensive efficiency (50.5% FG, 40% 3PT this season) and vast playoff resumé make him an ideal complement. The move would also signal a win-now mentality focused on maximizing this core’s trajectory rather than waiting.
Why the Clippers Would Consider the Trade
For the Clippers, the cost of retaining Kawhi may be mounting. At age 34, with his contract (over $48 million annually) and recurring injury concerns, the team may see diminishing return on investment unless they reconfigure their roster aggressively.
Meanwhile, the proposed return—two future first-round picks plus Hachimura and Knecht—offers them youth, cap relief and flexibility. Hachimura brings experience and scoring punch, while Knecht is a promising young guard drafted 17th overall in 2024 with three-point range and size at the position.
The picks give the Clippers ammo for a rebuild or future trade, especially if they believe their current window has closed.
The Bigger Picture
This potential trade would send shockwaves through the NBA. The Lakers acquiring Kawhi would elevate them immediately into contender status, not just in the West but league-wide. It would also mark a shift in the Clippers-Lakers rivalry: the Lakers would reclaim the star power mantle in Los Angeles.
For the Lakers’ young core, the addition of Kawhi means a mix of immediate championship pursuit and long-term development under a veteran focused star. Meanwhile, the Clippers get younger, more flexible, and positioned for a rebuild or repositioning into a sustainable competitive cycle.
Ultimately, while no trade of this magnitude comes without risk—Kawhi’s health, chemistry, and salary cap hurdles all loom—the strategic alignment is compelling. The Lakers want to win now, their roster is primed, and Kawhi offers the two-way star they are missing.
The Clippers, in turn, might recognize that the value of an aging star is lower than the value of future flexibility and youth. If the Lakers clear the necessary salary cap space and execute bold negotiations, trading for Kawhi Leonard could become one of the defining moves of the 2025 offseason—and a foundational shift for both franchises.
