After trading for Kristaps Porzingis and dealing Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, there were no further moves for the Golden State Warriors on the final day before the deadline.
The Warriors might be kicking themselves though after the L.A. Clippers made a bombshell move in trading Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, but not for the reason many fans would believe.
Warriors should have had interest in blockbuster Kawhi Leonard trade
While Zubac had been mentioned as a potential Warrior target, and although there's been fans wishing the franchise had explored a move for the veteran big man, the bigger frustration may stem from the lack of time to truly pursue a move for All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard before the deadline.
With the Zubac trade coming in the wake of James Harden's move to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the attention quickly turned to Leonard and his future with the franchise. However, the Zubac trade came in the final 90 minutes before the deadline, leaving the Warriors and other rivals team little time to pursue the 2x Finals MVP.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Friday that teams were calling the Clippers about a potential Leonard trade, but it was too little too late as the veteran forward remains on a team that will now look totally different after moving two of their three best players.
“Teams were calling and trying to see if they could pry Kawhi away.”@ChrisBHaynes breaks down Kawhi Leonard’s future with the Clippers pic.twitter.com/PCMHYIfELi
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) February 7, 2026
Had more time been available, it would have been interesting to see whether Golden State would have pursued a trade for Leonard, having missed out on a blockbuster deal for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Theoretically, even in the wake of sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks, the Warriors could have moved Porzingis, franchise legend Draymond Green and draft capital to the Clippers for Leonard.
The pacific rival may not have had any interest, but pairing Curry and Leonard would have brought an interesting dynamic to Golden State over the remainder of the season, as well as moving forward when Jimmy Butler returns next season.
Like their eventual acquisition in Porzingis, Leonard has a lengthy injury history that can't be ignored. However, there's no doubting his stature as one of the best players in the league when healthy, having averaged a career-high 27.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals on 49.7% shooting from the floor and 39% from 3-point range so far this season.
You have to wonder whether a Leonard trade may have happened if the Zubac deal went through earlier, but alas the Warriors were left with a result that many fans have been disappointed in over the past 48 hours.