Well, that took forever. That long, nightmarish saga is, indeed, finally over. The Toronto Raptors have their guy.
On Monday, the Raptors and Clippers finally submitted the proposed Kawhi Leonard trade to the NBA for approval, ending a three-month long stalemate after Leonard and the Clippers were at the center of the league’s investigation into salary cap circumvention.
The NBA ruled that both parties violated the league’s salary cap rules and issued a series of penalties, including fines for Leonard and the Clippers and suspensions for team owner Steve Ballmer, general manager Lawrence Frank and executive Gillian Zucker.
The Raptors, meanwhile, are welcoming back the man who led them to their first-ever NBA title. With Leonard in tow, it remains to be seen if Toronto has a few last-ditch offseason moves up its sleeve.
Raptors Could Welcome Back Popular Free Agent
With the Raptors still owning two open roster spots, they have the flexibility to make another move. The easiest way would be to venture into the free agent market and find a player who could bring some energy and championship DNA off the bench. The player at the forefront of the open market is veteran wingman Bruce Brown Jr., who spent last season with the Denver Nuggets.
According to Raptors reporter Jeremy Brenner, Brown is someone the team could pick up to fill out the roster.
The Raptors will also keep an eye on the free agent market, just in case another player pops up. Someone like Bruce Brown, who played in Toronto from 2024 to 2025, could make sense as another option.
Brown, 30, re-joined the Nuggets last offseason after a couple of inconsistent years with the New Orleans Pelicans, and yes, the Raptors.
Brown landed in Toronto in a trade from the Indiana Pacers ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. Brown appeared in just 18 games for the Raptors, though he was reasonably productive, averaging over eight points and close to four rebounds per game.
Is Brown a Strong Option for Toronto?
It is somewhat surprising that Brown is still hanging out on the open market. Although the Nuggets failed to come anywhere close to their preseason expectations, Brown provided excellent value for a player on a veteran minimum contract.
Appearing in every regular season game for the Nuggets, Brown averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and one steal per game while shooting close to 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from the 3-point line.
Brown has been linked to multiple teams this offseason, including the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.
The Raptors could decide to hold off a free agent signing and instead look internally for options to round out the roster.
“They have a couple of candidates that could fill in that gap in Andre Jackson Jr., Malachi Smith and rookie centre Nate Bittle,” Brenner wrote. “They could also promote one of their two-way players, Chucky Hepburn, Trey Jemisin III, or Jaden Bradley, a second-round pick out of Arizona.”
Meanwhile, Toronto’s core is in place. Leonard will join Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and a number of young, ascending stars who could help take the Raptors from an East contender to a threat to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
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