The latest Kawhi Leonard mess may have landed the Oklahoma City Thunder in the sweet spot again.
The LA Clippers have already been a major source of help for OKC ever since the 2019 Paul George blockbuster, and the list keeps growing. The Clippers’ moves have already sent valuable pieces Oklahoma City’s way, including the 2022 draft rights that became Jalen Williams and the acquisition of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander himself. Now, with a fresh report saying Leonard had an undisclosed sponsorship deal with LA scoreboard company Daktronics, the Thunder could be in line to benefit once more from Clippers turmoil.
The key piece for Oklahoma City is a 2027 pick-swap right tied to the 2023 trade that sent James Harden from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. That deal gives the Thunder the rights to swap picks with the Clippers in the 2027 draft.
Even before this latest report, it was widely believed that the Clippers’ situation could land OKC another lottery selection next June. But the new allegations, layered on top of the existing Aspiration scandal, only increase the odds that the Thunder wind up with a better pick.
The investigation into Leonard’s contract situation has already put the trade with the Raptors on hold, and that has left the Clippers’ rebuild stuck in place as well. There are multiple ways this could play out, and nearly all of them appear favorable for Oklahoma City’s draft outlook.
If the deal eventually goes through without penalties, the Thunder still have a strong shot at benefiting. A Los Angeles team built around Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram would be battling a crowded Western Conference and would likely miss the top 10 in the standings, making a playoff berth far from guaranteed and opening the door for a lottery pick.
If the trade gets canceled and everyone stays where they are, that may be even better for OKC. A Leonard-led Clippers team already looked capable of sending the Thunder a top-14 selection, and Los Angeles’ 2026 Play-In Tournament elimination helped bring Aday Mara to the Sooner State with the 12 overall pick in this year’s draft.
And then there’s the possibility of a much harsher outcome. Given how serious and controversial the accusations are, the Clippers and Leonard could face severe penalties.
As ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith noted, if the Clippers were in the lottery last season with Kawhi available, it’s fair to wonder where they’d land this year if he were suspended.
However this shakes out, the Thunder are positioned to come out of it looking like one of the big winners.
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