The Toronto Raptors never wanted Kawhi Leonard to leave seven years ago. And signs point to the two-time NBA Finals MVP returning to the team with which he won the 2019 championship.
There are plenty of moving parts and some contradictory information kicking around, but two sources close to the situation that I spoke with on Sunday confirmed that the Raptors have discussed the possibility of a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that would bring the 2026 second-team all-NBA selection back to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Leonard was first reported by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
The most likely construction of the deal would centre on a package including 2026 all-star Brandon Ingram and third-year wing Gradey Dick, which would work in terms of salary matching, per one source. The Raptors would likely have to add some draft picks as additional compensation.
Leonard has one year and $50.3 million left on his contract. According to sources, the 34-year-old is unlikely to get an extension from the Clippers and is open to finding a team that would extend his deal beyond the upcoming season.
“The Clippers aren’t going to commit to anything with him, so it looks like he’s trying to strong-arm his way out of there,” said one source.
Said another: “The Clippers are willing to move him … and I think a lot of teams are wary of acquiring Kawhi because you just don’t know if he’s going to play … there’s risk there, obviously. Toronto had him, and so maybe feels more comfortable that he would play for them, could play for them.”
There are also constructions that work with Raptors wing RJ Barrett’s expiring deal as the basis of a trade, but I have been told that the Canadian national team star is not likely to be part of any Clippers deal.
Exactly how determined the Raptors are to make the trade to acquire Leonard isn’t entirely clear either. A couple of different sources on Sunday suggested a move could be pending, but the predominant view seems to be that things are moving a little more slowly.
“They’ve talked, but it’s pretty preliminary,” said one source. “It’s not close,” said another.
The chatter is building momentum as the NBA heads into the opening of its free agency period on Tuesday night. The Raptors have some business to focus on there, too, with power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili expected to opt out of the final year of his $2.8 million deal on Monday. Sources are telling me that he’s expected to attract multiple offers starting at more than $10 million a year, which could make it challenging for the Raptors to keep him.
How that unfolds will be revealed in the coming days, but there seems to be a consensus that the Raptors are at least seriously entertaining the idea of bringing back Leonard. Toronto originally acquired him in the summer of 2018 in a trade with San Antonio, and he left for the Clippers in free agency in the days after leading the Raptors to their only championship.
“If the price is right, you have to think about it,” said one league source.
The market for Leonard doesn’t seem to be all that deep, with teams concerned about his injury history, his age and his proven determination to control his own destiny if the situation he’s in isn’t to his liking. That should help the Raptors, who stand to add a proven championship piece at a relative discount – for the second time.
It’s certainly a gamble, even if Leonard is coming off a superb season with the Clippers, earning his seventh all-NBA selection after averaging a career-best 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 50.5 per cent from the floor and 38.7 per cent from the three-point line and appeared in 65 games.
Before last season, Leonard had averaged just 44 games per year in his six previous years in Los Angeles, including missing the 2021-22 season with injury.
But the Raptors still have vice-president of player health and performance Alex McKechnie on staff, which should give them a level of comfort other teams might not have.
It was McKechnie who did such good work getting Leonard – who was limited to just nine games due to injury in his last season in San Antonio – through 60 regular-season games in Toronto, then able to lead the NBA in post-season minutes. Part of the approach included strategically resting Leonard to make sure he didn’t fatigue and increase his injury risk. It was one of the first instances of the application of ‘load management’ for a full season and has become much more common since.
Additionally, if it is Ingram who is the centrepiece of an outgoing trade package, the Raptors might feel more comfortable taking on whatever risk Leonard’s health carries.
Yes, Ingram played a career-high 2604 minutes for Toronto and appeared in 77 games, the most since his rookie season.
But the 10-year veteran had averaged just 52 games per year in eight seasons before joining the Raptors. After leading the Raptors in scoring during the regular season (21.5 points per game), Ingram struggled during the Raptors first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, playing just 11 minutes in Game 5 and missing Games 6 and 7 before undergoing surgery for a bone spur in his right heel in early May.
Ingram has two years and $82 million on his contract. The second season is a player option, and the expectation is that if he has a season similar to the one he just had with the Raptors, the soon-to-be 29-year-old will be looking for a contract extension of his own.
Leonard is the better player; there’s little argument there, and Ingram has his own durability concerns.
In his first full year as the Raptors top decision maker, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster has speculated about the timing of “maybe start[ing] to push some chips into the middle.”
Webster led the Raptors’ efforts to acquire Leonard back in 2018, a risky, franchise-shifting move that led directly to the Raptors only championship.
It appears he’s at least considering trying to go down the same path again.
