DHJ Quick Take: Kawhi Leonard Closing In on Raptors Return
Toronto and Los Angeles have agreed on the players in a Kawhi Leonard deal, with draft compensation the last piece to settle before a reunion becomes official.
- What’s the holdup? Draft-pick compensation, after the sides locked in Brandon Ingram as the headliner going to the Clippers.
- Who’s involved? Ingram and Gradey Dick anchor Toronto’s outgoing package, per Sportsnet, with picks still to be determined.
- Why does it matter? Pairing Leonard with Scottie Barnes vaults the Raptors into Eastern Conference contention.
- What’s next? Free agency opens Tuesday, June 30, at 5 p.m. CT, with the Raptors needing to balance out the roster around Leonard.
The Toronto Raptors are finalizing a trade to bring Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto, sending Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a pick swap, and two second-round picks to the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.
Dallas Hoops Journal reported earlier this week that the Raptors had emerged as the clear favorite to land Leonard, with Ingram shaping up as the key piece the Clippers would acquire in any deal.
Leonard, 35, had signaled he’d commit to a long-term extension only if he landed in Toronto, the franchise he led to its lone title in 2019, sources said. He’s owed $50.3 million on the final year of his contract.
Kawhi Leonard’s Fit Alongside Scottie Barnes
Leonard is coming off an All-NBA season, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 50.5% from the field, 38.7% from 3-point range, and 89.2% from the free-throw line over 65 games. A reunion pairs him with Scottie Barnes, giving Toronto one of the league’s most imposing two-way wing tandems and lifting a roster that finished last season as the East’s No. 5 seed.
Ingram, 28, earned All-Star honors in 2026 after averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, and steps into a Clippers rebuild that already moved James Harden and Ivica Zubac over the past year.
Kawhi Leonard’s Trade Bonus Complicates Raptors’ Cap Sheet
Toronto’s luxury tax and apron picture stays fluid because of Leonard’s $7.45 million trade bonus, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron noted. Leonard will likely have to waive most of that bonus unless the Raptors shed additional salary.
If he waives it in full, Toronto would sit roughly $7.3 million below the first apron, with enough room to fill its final four roster spots with minimum contracts, per Gozlan.
What’s Next for the Toronto Raptors
Free agency opens Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT, and the Raptors are positioned to round out the roster once the Leonard deal is official.
With Leonard and Barnes anchoring the wing, Toronto reshapes itself into an Eastern Conference contender a year removed from a No. 5 finish.
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