The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN. The deal sends Leonard back to the team with whom he won the 2019 championship and Finals MVP. That summer, he left Toronto to sign a free-agent deal with the Clippers. Now, seven years later, the Raptors bring the most talented player in franchise history back to Canada in one of the biggest trades of the offseason.
The return package for the Clippers includes Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-rounders, per ESPN.
The Leonard era in Los Angeles included some of the highest highs in franchise history, but ultimately ends in disappointment. After trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a historic package of draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George in order to secure Leonard's commitment, the Clippers only wound up reaching one Western Conference Finals with Leonard on the team. That was the first conference finals appearance in team history, but Leonard missed that series after tearing his ACL in the prior round against the Utah Jazz.
Meanwhile, the NBA is currently investigating whether or not the Clippers circumvented the salary cap with a sponsorship agreement between Leonard and Aspiration. That investigation has been ongoing since last offseason. The Clippers have maintained their innocence since the allegations, brought to light by reporter Pablo Torre, came to light.
After years of injuries, Leonard has bounced back over the past two seasons to return to All-NBA form. Yet as the Clippers traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline in order to launch a youth movement, a Leonard deal eventually began to seem inevitable. However, with Leonard on an expiring deal, he had control over possible destinations. After all, the whole league saw him leave Toronto the first time despite winning a championship. In fact, Leonard was reportedly only interested in extending with his two former teams: the Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs.
Toronto has rebuilt its team entirely since Leonard last played there. No players from the 2019 championship team remain on the roster, and both top executive Masai Ujiri and head coach Nick Nurse are gone as well. But current Raptors general manager Bobby Webster was part of the front office that built those 2019 champions, and last year, he put together a roster that had a surprisingly successful season.
The Raptors won 46 games in the 2025-26 season. That earned them the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference behind a breakout season for Scottie Barnes in which he made his second All-Star appearance. Despite playing the first round of the playoffs with several significant injuries, the Raptors managed to push the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in a near-upset. With Barnes ascending to true stardom, the Raptors decided to make a push to try to get back into genuine Eastern Conference contention.
Now, with Leonard in the fold, they have their best roster since he left seven years ago. If he can stay healthy and remain as productive as he was in Los Angeles, the Raptors are going to be one of the most dangerous threats to the defending champion New York Knicks in the East.
