Kawhi Leonard's Clippers Future Teased by Lawrence Frank After NBA Play-In Loss vs. Warriors

The Los Angeles Clippers say they are still committed to Kawhi Leonard despite their star player's lack of confirmation he wants to stay with the franchise this summer.

One day after Leonard declined to answer questions about his future with the Clippers, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters the franchise's "plan is to win with Kawhi."

"At the appropriate time, we'll sit down with Kawhi and, very similar to 2024, lay out our plan and, if our goals are aligned, then we'd like to win with Kawhi," Frank said (h/t Clippers reporter Justin Russo).

Leonard was asked Thursday, after the Clippers were eliminated from the play-in tournament with a 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors, if this was a place he would "like to stay going forward into the future."

"Let me cry about this loss a little bit more," Leonard answered. "We're going to have those discussions when the time comes."

Leonard is currently signed through the 2026-27 season at a cap hit of $50.3 million before he is set to hit unrestricted free agency in summer 2027, per Spotrac.

He averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game this season. The Clippers nevertheless started the campaign with a 6-21 record, traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline and had a late-season resurgence only to fall short of the playoffs.

The Clippers have both Isaiah Jackson and Darius Garland, acquired as part of the Harden trade, signed through the 2027-28 season.

Outside of that, the Clippers have few long-term contract commitments and a new opportunity for roster turnover during an offseason during which Frank reiterated the franchise intends to retool, not rebuild.

The franchise has team option decisions for next season coming up for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez and Nicolas Batum. Frank also said the Clippers are planning to "add one significant piece to the roster" through the draft, free agency or a trade this offseason, per Russo.

The Harden and Zubac trades gave the Clippers roster flexibility going forward. What Frank and the rest of the front office intends to do with that wiggle room could impact whether Leonard considers signing an extension this offseason.