Kawhi Leonard's Stance on Joining Pistons Revealed in New NBA Trade Rumors amid Clippers Buzz

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly has no long-term interest in the Detroit Pistons in the event of a trade.

According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Leonard "would not be amenable to extending his contract" with the Pistons.

Sources also indicated to Stein and Fischer that Kawhi's lack of desire to sign an extension with the Pistons "appears to have quashed any Detroit pursuit of Leonard."

Given that he's set to enter the final year of his contract in 2026-27, Leonard has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors and speculation lately.

During an appearance this week on NBA TV (h/t ClutchPoints), NBA insider Chris Haynes said he expects the Clippers to trade Leonard before the start of the 2026-27 campaign if the two sides are unable agree to an extension before then:

Fischer subsequently reported that the Toronto Raptors have interest in Leonard, and they are one of only two teams Kawhi would consider signing an extension with, along with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs and Raptors were Leonard's first two NBA teams before he signed with the Clippers in 2019.

Leonard won a championship and an NBA Finals MVP Award with each of the Spurs and Raptors.

Kawhi spent only one season in Toronto, but it was a magical one, as he led the Raptors past the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals, securing the first and only championship in franchise history.

Despite that success, Leonard decided to head back home by signing with the Clippers.

Team success has been much harder to come by in L.A., as the Clippers have reached the Western Conference Finals only once and have not made it to the NBA Finals during Leonard's tenure.

They also have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since the 2020-21 campaign.

Leonard has dealt with his fair share of injuries during his Clippers tenure, reaching the 60 games played mark only twice in seven seasons.

Last season was one of his healthiest in recent memory, though, appearing in 65 games and averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals.

Leonard was named to the All-NBA Second Team as a result, and he finished seventh in NBA MVP voting despite the Clippers missing the playoffs.

Although Leonard turns 35 next week, he proved last season that he is as good as ever when healthy, so it comes as little surprise that he is generating interest on the trade market.

Detroit would have been an interesting landing spot, as Leonard could have joined forces with All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and played for a team that led the Eastern Conference with a 60-22 record last season.

However, with no guarantee that Leonard will stick around beyond next season, it is easy to understand why the Pistons would be apprehensive about pursuing him.