Worst deal in NBA history? With Clippers’ penalties, the Kawhi Leonard signing now rivals Luka Dončić trade

When Nico Harrison dumped Luka Dončić to the Lakers for not much more than the cup of coffee he presumably also bought for Rob Pelinka in February of 2025, it was considered by most to be the worst trade in NBA history. The only reason that might still be true is the Clippers didn't trade for Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2019. But if we're talking straight transactions, with the benefit of hindsight, the Leonard acquisition may have just jumped the Dončić debacle in staking its claim among, and perhaps atop, the all-time disasters.

The Leonard era in L.A. is, presumably, ending any minute now, with the star player getting shipped to Toronto in a trade that was put on hold for two months. But, for now, let's look back at the failed seven-season run.

We can start start with the fact that the Clippers paid Leonard nearly $350 million over the last seven years. During that span, the Clippers won a total of three playoff series, and Leonard didn't play in a single postseason game past the second round. He missed the 2021-22 season entirely after tearing his ACL. He played in a whopping 37 games in the…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/