After a months-long delay, the NBA permitted a commerce between the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers on Monday that despatched Leonard again to Toronto the place he received an NBA championship in 2019.
All-star ahead Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round choose swap and two second-round picks are going to L.A. in return.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi again to Toronto,” stated Raptors basic supervisor and government vice-president Bobby Webster. “His affect on our group, our metropolis, and our nation is simple, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we worth.
“We consider his management, expertise and expertise will assist us as we proceed constructing towards our subsequent championship.”
The deal was paused whereas the NBA investigated Leonard and the Clippers for salary-cap circumvention.
The league accomplished its investigation on Sept. 2, fining Leonard US$700,000 however declined to droop him or void his contract.
The NBA was a lot tougher on the Clippers.
They have been stripped of 5 first-round picks from 2029 by way of 2033 and the group was fined $30 million after an unbiased investigation discovered a sample of misconduct and a number of vital guidelines violations. Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer and president of enterprise operations Gillian Zucker have been suspended for one yr, whereas president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months.
Leonard is predicted to talk with reporters on Sept. 28 at Toronto’s media day.
Though the deal had not been formally submitted to the league whereas the investigation was underway, Leonard, Ingram and Dick tried to take part with their new groups as a lot as NBA guidelines allowed.
Leonard sat within the entrance row at Kyle Lowry’s July 7 information convention at Toronto’s OVO Athletic Centre, the place Lowry introduced he would retire as a member of the Raptors. Ingram attended a Clippers summer time league sport in Las Vegas on July 10.
The 35-year-old Leonard averaged 27.9 factors, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per sport final season for the Clippers in 2025-26.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA choice, a two-time NBA champion (with San Antonio in 2014 and Toronto in 2019) and is mostly thought-about one of many sport’s prime defensive gamers. He joins a Raptors group that had the fifth-best defensive ranking within the league final season.
Ingram averaged 21.5 factors, 5.6 rebounds and three.7 assists in his one season in Toronto, however was injured 11 minutes into Sport 5 of the Raptors’ first-round playoff sequence in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He underwent proper heel surgical procedure on Might 8.
Dick took a step again in his third NBA season, averaging 14 minutes per sport in 2025-26, averaging six factors, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists, all profession lows.
“We additionally wish to thank Brandon and Gradey and recognize their work ethic, character, and basketball excellence they dropped at our group every single day,” stated Webster.
Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reported that Leonard is waiving his whole 15 per cent commerce bonus as a part of the deal. The Raptors will nonetheless be hard-capped on the first-apron line getting into this upcoming season, however will keep away from needing to increase the take care of Leonard’s determination.
Leonard was the central participant within the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, however spent only one season with the membership earlier than becoming a member of his hometown Clippers as a free agent.
