The Toronto Raptors pulled off what was unthinkable just a month prior, trading for Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who first broke the news on Tuesday, the trade has a deeper meaning for Leonard. Charania said that Leonard wants to retire in Toronto, the city he led to the 2019 NBA championship.
“The ability now to go to the Raptors and contend in the Eastern Conference and to be able to say that I ended my career with the Raptors after playing for the Clippers and the Spurs,” Charania said about Leonard’s point of view about the trade.
“I’m told Kawhi Leonard views this as an opportunity to retire in Toronto.”
“I’m told Kawhi Leonard views this as an opportunity to retire in Toronto”
Raptors, Clippers Work On Kawhi Leonard Deal For Half A Week
GettyDALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 21: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers celebrates with a teammate during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 21, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Raptors and the Clippers have been engaged in lengthy talks about a possible Leonard deal since the weekend.
Many versions of the trade circulated, but the reports indicated that the Raptors protected their young assets, such as players like Colin Murray-Boyles and Ja’Kobe Walter, who both showed great promise in the Raptors’ playoff run in the 2025-2026 season.
Leonard is currently on an expiring contract for the 2026-27 season, which would earn him $50.3 million.
Leonard played with Toronto in the 2018-2019 NBA season, getting traded to the only Canadian team in the league from the San Antonio Spurs. There, he became a legend among fans, leading them to their first-ever NBA championship before signing with the LA Clippers after just one season.
Now, Toronto will get to see Leonard once again, albeit older at 35 years old, yet still an effective player.
Last season, he played 65 games and averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per contest. He was incredibly efficient, shooting 50.5% from the field for the Clippers, which lost to the play-in tournament.
Raptors Must Overcome One Last Hurdle To Get Kawhi Leonard
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers handles the ball against Leonard Miller #11 of the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Intuit Dome on March 13, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images)
The trade is still pending the approval of the NBA, so Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto is not yet finalized.
The league is the final hurdle the Raptors must overcome to complete the trade, as Leonard, along with the Clippers, is still being investigated for salary cap circumvention through a third-party company.
In the issue that arose last year, the Clippers used a third-party green banking startup called Aspiration to funnel under-the-table money to Leonard to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap.
“Adam Silver, 26 days ago, announced that it was time for the investigation to end. We have no results of the investigation,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst said in ESPN’s Get Up a day before the Kawhi trade broke. “However, the league would not approve a trade involving Kawhi Leonard if they thought they would be detrimental to the team acquiring him. That’s number one.”
As of writing, no resolution about the Clippers-Leonard scandal has been publicized.
All NBA free-agent signings and agreed-upon trades will become official on July 6, 2026.
Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard Wants To Retire In Toronto, Says Shams