Clippers, Raptors Near Deal to Send Kawhi Leonard Back to Toronto
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The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors are putting the finishing touches on a trade that will return Kawhi Leonard to Canada, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania and TNT’s Chris Haynes.
Toronto is expected to ship forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two first-round picks (2027 and 2029), a 2030 pick swap and two second-round selections to Los Angeles, according to the reports. Contract language is still being finalized, but the framework of the deal is in place.
Leonard, who turned 35 on Monday, averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals across 65 games last season, earning All-NBA Second Team honors. He is eligible for an extension this summer and is poised to discuss a two-year agreement worth up to $124 million that would keep him in Toronto through 2028–29, sources said.
The Clippers opted to pursue a trade rather than risk losing the five-time All-Star for nothing in 2027 free agency. Concerns about future salary commitments, Leonard’s injury history and his age contributed to the decision after Los Angeles had already moved veterans James Harden and Ivica Zubac during the season.
Leonard previously spent the 2018-19 campaign with the Raptors, guiding the franchise to its first NBA title and collecting his second Finals MVP award. He signed with the hometown Clippers that summer and spent seven seasons in Los Angeles, making four All-Star teams but advancing past the second round only once.
Ingram, a 2026 All-Star, gives the Clippers a 28-year-old scorer to pair with guard Darius Garland and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler as the club shifts toward a younger core. The additional draft compensation replenishes assets depleted by previous trades.
Toronto’s cap sheet tightens with Leonard’s $50.3 million salary for 2026-27 replacing Ingram’s $40 million and Dick’s $7.13 million figures. Leonard also holds a $7.5 million trade bonus that would be paid by the Clippers but would count against the Raptors’ cap unless waived or reduced, potentially pushing the team near the first tax apron.
The trade is proceeding while the NBA continues to investigate whether the Clippers violated salary-cap rules through a disputed endorsement arrangement involving Leonard and the defunct green-banking company Aspiration. Any league discipline is expected to target the franchise rather than Leonard’s contract.
Source: HoopsRumors
