Kawhi Leonard never suited up for the Pacers, but his fingerprints are all over the roster Indiana has built years later.
That’s the strange thread running through a pair of franchise-changing moves. Leonard was selected by Indiana with the No. 15 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, then traded to San Antonio as part of the deal that brought George Hill to the Pacers.
He never played a second for Indiana. Still, nearly 15 years later, Leonard somehow helped the Pacers land two of the three players in their current starting frontcourt.
The first twist came in the summer of 2019. Leonard had just delivered Toronto its first and only NBA championship, but he didn’t stay to keep that group together. Instead of running it back with Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, he left for the Los Angeles Clippers.
That departure changed everything for Toronto. The Raptors’ championship core slowly broke apart, and less than five years later Indiana stepped in and acquired Siakam on Jan.
17, 2024. It turned into one of the most important trades in Pacers history.
Siakam has become exactly what Indiana needed: an All-Star caliber player, champion, leader and steadying presence for a young team. The Pacers don’t make their incredible postseason runs without him, and they certainly don’t get close to an NBA championship without Siakam playing such a significant role.
Then came another Leonard-linked opening. After Myles Turner left in free agency in 2025, Indiana was again looking for a long-term answer at center.
By September 2026, Pablo Torre’s reporting on Leonard, the Clippers and Aspiration had brought allegations of salary-cap circumvention into the spotlight. The fallout pushed Los Angeles in a new direction and led to two huge trades before the deadline.
James Harden was sent to Cleveland in a deal involving Darius Garland, while Indiana landed Zubac and Kobe Brown by sending Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and a second-round pick to Los Angeles.
Once more, Leonard’s situation had an indirect effect on the Pacers.
If the Clippers never unraveled, maybe Los Angeles keeps building around Leonard and Zubac never hits the market. Instead, Indiana got a center who fits neatly next to Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam, while also making sense for the team financially.
Zubac gives the Pacers an upgrade in the middle, bringing elite rebounding, interior presence and proven size without shutting the door on roster flexibility.
So the whole thing lands in a pretty wild place: a player Indiana drafted and traded away in 2011 ended up helping shape the Pacers’ current frontcourt almost 15 years later.
Siakam and Zubac now make up two-thirds of Indiana’s starting frontcourt. And Leonard, without ever playing for the Pacers, somehow helped make that possible.
In Other News...
Kawhi Leonard Scandal Just Became A Serious Threat For The Clippers
Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Clippers arranged secret sponsorship contracts for Kawhi Leonard in an effort to get around the NBA salary cap, turning a long-running controversy into something far more serious for the franchise. The probe is being run by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Brooklyn and is still in its early stages, but it already adds a federal layer to a matter that had previously lived in the realm of league scrutiny and public suspicion.
No charges have been filed, and the case is still unfolding, but the stakes are obvious for a Clippers organization that has spent years trying to build around Leonard as the centerpiece. The investigation is looking at possible violations of federal law, including fraud and tax-related offenses, which means the team is now facing questions that go well beyond basketball and into the kind of legal territory that can shadow a franchise for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers May Have An Unexpected Path To A Young Center
The Clippers have spent plenty of time hunting for frontcourt answers, and Jalen Duren is suddenly the kind of name worth keeping on the radar. The Pistons center is still working through restricted free agency, and his situation has the kind of timing that could matter in Los Angeles if the team is looking to reshape its roster around a younger big man.
Duren and Detroit have until Oct. 1 to work out a new deal, and the longer this drags, the more interesting it gets for teams with future flexibility. If the Pistons center winds up taking a short-term path instead, the door could open for him to hit the market in a way that lines up with the Clippers and whatever cap space they are able to create next summer. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Could Get Another Shot At A First Round Guard
The Clippers offseason guard watch could take an interesting turn if Memphis trims its roster the way it may have to. The Grizzlies have only 15 spots available and may be forced to waive four players, a crunch that has put several names in play, including Walter Clayton Jr., Jordan Hawkins, DAngelo Russell and Kris Murray. Clayton Jr. has already made a strong impression as a rookie, and Jake Fischer floated the idea that if he becomes available, Los Angeles should look into bringing him in on a training camp deal.
It would not be the first time the Clippers had a reason to circle Clayton Jr. as a target. He was a first-round pick in 2025, and the draft board had him on Los Angeles radar earlier than where he ultimately landed. If Memphis decides to move on from him, the Clippers could get another crack at a guard they once had their eye on, with the only real question being whether the opportunity reaches them in time. [Read more 🡒]