Overview
- ClutchPoints identified Miami as a potential suitor and floated a hypothetical deal sending Leonard to the Heat for Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Kel’el Ware and draft compensation.
- Hot Hot Hoops reported that both Miami and Los Angeles are hard-capped below the first apron, noting the proposed Wiggins–Rozier framework would not be legal under current cap limits.
- Coverage further questioned Rozier’s tradability and detailed that the Clippers are roughly $1.23 million and the Heat $7.2 million below the first apron, leaving little room to structure matching salaries.
- Leonard is producing 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 49.4% shooting this season but carries a near $50 million salary in 2025–26 and 2026–27 with free agency in 2027, alongside a significant injury history.
- With the Clippers stumbling to a 6-16/6-17 start and the NBA probing an alleged cap-circumvention matter tied to Aspiration, opinion pieces argue Miami should steer clear, even as the Feb. 5, 2026 trade deadline approaches.