DHJ Quick Take: Raptors Favored for Kawhi Leonard, Mavericks Unlikely
The Toronto Raptors are viewed as the favorite to land Kawhi Leonard, while the Dallas Mavericks are considered unlikely amid league skepticism that he would sign an extension in Dallas, a reunion that would have paired him again with Masai Ujiri.
- Why are the Raptors favored over the Mavericks? Sources told Dallas Hoops Journal that Leonard is willing to sign an extension in Toronto, making the Raptors a more plausible landing spot than Dallas.
- How does this fit Masai Ujiri’s plan? Ujiri has emphasized a future build around Cooper Flagg and holds limited first-round capital through 2030.
- Why does it matter for Dallas? A Leonard deal would be a win-now swing that runs against Ujiri’s stated direction and the team’s thin asset base.
- What’s next? Free agency opens June 30, with the moratorium lifting July 6.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are considered unlikely to trade for Kawhi Leonard, even with the front-office history that first tied the two together, Dallas Hoops Journal has learned.
League sources remain skeptical that Dallas is a place Leonard would sign an extension, the central reason a reunion engineered by Mavericks president Masai Ujiri faces long odds. Leonard can reach free agency in 2027, and his willingness to commit long-term is viewed as tied to a short list of teams from earlier in his career rather than a new situation in Dallas.
The Athletic reported that the Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers discussed a framework centered on P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson, and draft picks. Ujiri traded for Leonard in 2018 as president of the Toronto Raptors, a move that delivered the franchise its only championship the following spring.
Kawhi Leonard’s Extension Market Works Against Dallas
The skepticism comes down to where Leonard would actually commit. He carries one year and $50.3 million on his deal and is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, production that gives him leverage over which contenders he would extend with. Dallas is not believed to be high on that list.
Sources told Dallas Hoops Journal that the Raptors are viewed as a more plausible landing spot, largely because Leonard is willing to sign an extension in Toronto. Additionally, there has yet to be any meaningful traction between the Clippers and Leonard regarding a potential contract extension.
Any acquiring team risks losing him in 2027 free agency, and Leonard’s camp has not signaled the same long-term interest in Dallas, giving the Raptors an edge the Mavericks have not been able to match in talks to date.
Masai Ujiri’s Future-Based Approach in Dallas
The interest also runs against the direction Ujiri has signaled since taking over Dallas basketball operations in May. After firing head coach Jason Kidd on May 20, Ujiri made clear the franchise would prioritize a young core built around 19-year-old Cooper Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year.
“We have a 19-year-old generational player on our roster,” Ujiri said. “We have to think that way. We are not going to make decisions based on winning today.”
Dallas also has limited draft capital to chase a 35-year-old star with a long injury history. The Mavericks do not control their own first-round picks through 2030, owe the Charlotte Hornets a top-2 protected first in 2027, and face swap options with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs later in the decade. Pairing Leonard with Flagg and Kyrie Irving, who is working back from a torn ACL, would form a win-now core, but Ujiri’s stated priorities and the team’s thin asset base run counter to the kind of aggressive move such a deal would require.
One more complication hangs over any Leonard trade. The NBA’s investigation into the Clippers’ since-bankrupt Aspiration endorsement arrangement, which has drawn scrutiny for possible salary-cap circumvention, remains open and could affect how quickly Los Angeles can move him.
Free agency opens June 30, with the league’s moratorium lifting July 6. For now, the expectation across the league is that Leonard lands somewhere other than Dallas.
More Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
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- Dusty May Calls Dallas Mavericks Move ‘Almost Too Big Of A Dream,’ Centers Vision On Cooper Flagg
- Sources: Dallas Mavericks Exercising Ryan Nembhard’s Team Option
- Dallas Mavericks Have Discussed A Kawhi Leonard Trade With The LA Clippers
- ‘Don’t Forget Who I Am’: Dallas Mavericks Center Dereck Lively II Won’t Rush Return From Foot Surgery
- Morez Johnson Jr. Embraces ‘Junkyard Dog’ Role With Dallas Mavericks
- Dallas Mavericks Still Working Through Sergio De Larrea’s Arrival Plan
- Dallas Mavericks Move Up, Acquire Sergio De Larrea In Draft-Night Trade With New York Knicks
- Morez Johnson Jr. ‘Insanely Shocked’ By Dusty May’s Dallas Mavericks Move
- ‘It’s Insane That I’m Actually Going To Dallas’: Morez Johnson Jr. Reacts To Mavericks Selection At No. 9
- ‘One Of The Most Fascinating Coaches’: Masai Ujiri Breaks Down Dallas Mavericks’ Dusty May Hire
