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Kawhi Leonard Returns to Toronto in Blockbuster Trade
Confirmed
In Short: Kawhi Leonard is heading back to the Toronto Raptors after a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, making him eligible for a lucrative extension.
The Toronto Raptors have finalized a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, bringing Kawhi Leonard back to the city where he won the 2019 NBA title. The deal includes Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple draft picks for Leonard, who is now eligible to sign a two-year, $126 million extension with the Raptors.
Leonard's return to Toronto comes after a brief stint with the Clippers, where the team and player failed to replicate the success of the Raptors. The trade was paused for nearly three months due to an investigation into salary cap circumvention by the Clippers.
According to reports, the Clippers gave the final sign-off for the trade on Monday, after taking 13 days to absorb the league's punishment and sort out internal logistics. Leonard is expected to sign the extension, which would keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season.
The trade is significant for the Raptors, who are hoping to sustain Leonard's health over the long haul of an 82-game season and a playoff run. Leonard is entering the last year of his current deal and is owed $50 million in 2026-27, but is expected to sign the extension shortly.
What's confirmed
- The Toronto Raptors have finalized a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, bringing Kawhi Leonard back to the city where he won the 2019 NBA title. The deal includes Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple draft picks for Leonard, who is now eligible to sign a two-year, $126 million extension with the Raptors.
- Leonard's return to Toronto comes after a brief stint with the Clippers, where the team and player failed to replicate the success of the Raptors. The trade was paused for nearly three months due to an investigation into salary cap circumvention by the Clippers.
- According to reports, the Clippers gave the final sign-off for the trade on Monday, after taking 13 days to absorb the league's punishment and sort out internal logistics. Leonard is expected to sign the extension, which would keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season.
- The trade is significant for the Raptors, who are hoping to sustain Leonard's health over the long haul of an 82-game season and a playoff run. Leonard is entering the last year of his current deal and is owed $50 million in 2026-27, but is expected to sign the extension shortly.
What's still developing
- Kawhi Leonard famously arrived to Toronto in 2018 in a trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs.
- Those picks are big for the Clippers, who still owe three years of pick control to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers as part of the James Harden acquisition and were just stripped of five of their own first-round picks from 2029 to 2033 as a result of the league determining that they did, in fact, circumvent the salary cap in directing Leonard more money than they were legally allowed to by way endorsements.
- The good news is Leonard is coming off his healthiest and arguably best regular season in nearly a decade.
- After trading for Kawhi Leonard on June 30, the Toronto Raptors can finally breathe easy.