From whence he came, he shall now return.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a deal on Tuesday that sends 2-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, where he led the franchise to its lone NBA championship in 2019.
Leonard initially came to the Clippers on a 3-year, $103.14 million free-agent contract in July 2019.
“BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are nearing deal sending Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2 first-round picks, 1 pick swap and 2 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote on his official X account. “A return to Canada for the Raptors champion and two-time Finals MVP.”
Leonard, 35, has $375.7 million in career earnings and is headed into the final season of the 3-year, $149.5 million contract extension he signed with the Clippers before the 2024 season.
In 7 seasons with the Clippers, Leonard peaked with trips to the Western Conference Semifinals and Western Conference Finals in his 1st 2 seasons, but hasn’t advanced past the 1st round since then.
Leonard, a 2011 1st round pick, also won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and is a surefire future Hall of Famer. He’s a 7-time NBA All-Star, 7-time All-NBA Team selection, 2-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and was a member of the NBA’s 7th Anniversary team.
Kawhi Leonard Upped Value With 2025-26 Season
The reason the Clippers were able to land such a massive haul for Leonard was because of a resurgent 2025-26 season in which he played 65 games and averaged a career-high 27.9 points to go with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals.
Those numbers alone shot the price of Leonard up in any trade talks, certainly, and the Clippers reaped the benefits on Tuesday.
It also came because the Clippers weren’t willing to keep dumping money into Leonard.
“The sticking point has been draft pick compensation,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said before the trade. “Despite (Leonard) coming off a brilliant season, the Clippers are not willing to offer him a contract extension in any sort of form.”
The deal frees up another $10 million in salary cap space for the Clippers, opening them up to make another big move as free agency opens later Tuesday.
Injuries, Scandal Defined Time With Clippers
History will likely tell us that the 2 things that defined Leonard’s time with the Clippers were injuries and a still-unfolding scandal that could lead to major repercussions from the NBA for Leonard, the Clippers and team owner Steve Ballmer.
First, the injuries. In 7 seasons with the Clippers, Leonard missed a staggering 243 games, including the entire 2021-22 season, which is just 3 games short of 3 entire 82-game regular seasons.
Over 7 seasons, Leonard averaged just 47.2 games per year.
Second, the scandal. In September 2025, investigative reporter Pablo Torre uncovered a wide-ranging scheme by the Clippers to use a now-bankrupt and fraudulent environmental company, Aspiration, to funnel some $28 million in under-the-table cash payments to Leonard to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap.
Also, according to Torre’s reporting, Leonard received an additional $20 million in Aspiration stock, bringing his total compensation to approximately $48 million.
The NBA is conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter. Ballmer, who is 1 of the world’s richest people with a net worth estimated at $130 billion to $145 billion, has denied any wrongdoing. So has Leonard
Report: Clippers Trade 2-Time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard for Massive Haul