"Kawhi ruined his career" - NBA fans react to Clippers reportedly planning to move on from Kawhi Leonard as centerpiece

The drama surrounding Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers, and his $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration continues to unfold. With New York-based firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz leading the NBA’s investigation into a possible salary cap circumvention, Leonard’s days with the Clippers might be numbered.

Leonard’s importance within the organization may already be diminishing, according to reports. Writing for ESPN on Wednesday, Baxter Holmes said that according to his conversations with the organization’s former staffers, the team is “done building around Kawhi.”

Holmes also reported that several GMs and league executives expect Leonard and the LA Clippers to part ways once his contract ends after the 2026-27 season.

Fans on social media reacted to the news, with some alleging that the Clippers may only be moving on from Leonard done due to the NBA’s ongoing investigation. Others criticized Leonard and his Uncle Dennis for their reported demands. Others accused Leonard of “ruining his career” by leaving the Raptors.

“Kawhi ruined his career by leaving Toronto. Embarrassing,” one fan wrote.

frappharden

@frappharden

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter kawhi ruined his career by leaving toronto. embarrassing.

Cryptid Politics 🇺🇸🐊

@CryptidPolitics

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Hard to build around a player like Kawhi Leonard who only plays about 50% of the time.

Jeri Tsai

@JeriTsaiNets

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Kawhi demanded a whole lot only to barely stay healthy on the court. Part ownership for playing 30games is wild 😅

KurlyChris

@KurlyChrisTV

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Should of stayed and built a legacy in Toronto would of became the best Raptors of all time

AcesAreMyLastHope

@isThatLondino

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Kawhi for the vet min in 2026 gonna hit like crack

---

Will teams still be lining up for Kawhi Leonard after his controversial stint with the LA Clippers?

Kawhi Leonard will become an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2027-28 season. However, this free agency will be very different from his previous one. The last time Leonard hit free agency was in 2019, when he was 28 and fresh off leading the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title.

As expected, many teams in the league were interested in acquiring him and were willing to offer maximum contracts. This time around, he will be 36 and will come into free agency without much postseason success to show for his time in LA. Moreover, his injury struggles, which often result in significant time on the sidelines, will be concerning for many.

While Leonard could still generate a decent amount of interest as a free agent, it is hard to imagine that teams would be willing to offer him a maximum deal, especially in light of his camp's reported demands in 2019.