Kawhi Leonard has officially returned to the Toronto Raptors in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, resolving a deal put on hold by a major NBA salary cap investigation. The transaction sends Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple draft assets to Los Angeles as Toronto prepares to contend.
Trade Finalized After Months of Regulatory Delays
The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer. In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Clippers signed off on the trade after spending the last two weeks working through the logistics of their punishment following an NBA investigation. The agreement had been placed on hold in early July while the NBA investigated Leonard and the Clippers for circumventing salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.
Penalties and Roster Return for Clippers and Raptors
The league eventually announced penalties for Leonard and the Clippers on Sept. 2. The NBA hit the Clippers with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions. Ballmer announced on Sunday night that he was accepting the league’s punishment. Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.
For the Clippers, this trade seemingly represents the final step of a five-month process to turn over the roster and start building a younger core. They had the league’s fourth best regular-season record over Leonard’s tenure in LA, but that just means that they had the best record among teams that didn’t win a championship over those seven years. Toronto obtained Leonard in a trade with Los Angeles while sending out Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round selections and a pick swap on June 30.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”
On-Court Impact: Defense and Roster Outlook
It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors were one of the most improved teams in the league this past season, winning 16 more games than they did in 2024-25. Statistically, it was their best season (plus-2.9 points per 100 possessions) in the last six years. With this deal, they’re clearly hoping to take another step forward and compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors ranked fifth defensively this past season, allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions. Theirs was an aggressive defense that forced a lot of turnovers and defended the 3-point line relatively well. There’s still room for improvement. While they ranked fifth overall, the Raptors ranked just 12th defensively (117.3 allowed per 100) against the league’s top 10 offenses. They also had the 12th-ranked defense in the first round of the playoffs. One issue with the Raptors’ top-five defense was fouls. They ranked 23rd in opponent free throw rate (27.9 attempts per 100 shots from the field), and that rate was much higher (31.8 per 100) in the postseason.
Leonard isn’t quite the defender he was five or six years ago, but he remains a plus on that end of the floor … and he doesn’t foul often. This past season, Leonard had 122 steals, 27 blocks and just 78 personal fouls, with his ratio of blocks and steal per foul being the highest (by a wide margin) among 378 players who played at least 500 minutes:
Highest ratio, (steals + blocks) / personal fouls, 2025-26:
Kawhi Leonard: 1.91 (2,085 minutes, 122 steals, 27 blocks, 78 personal fouls)
Victor Wembanyama: 1.69 (1,866 minutes, 66 steals, 197 blocks, 156 personal fouls)
Robert Williams III: 1.65 (1,008 minutes, 35 steals, 87 blocks, 74 personal fouls)
Al Horford: 1.59 (969 minutes, 30 steals, 51 blocks, 51 personal fouls)
Derrick White: 1.56 (2,625 minutes, 88 steals, 98 blocks, 119 personal fouls)
Jakob Poeltl has been a plus defender in the past, but he’s really struggled to defend in space the last couple of years and he just recorded the worst rim-protection mark of his career, with opponents shooting 63.9% at the rim when he was there to protect it this past season. While Poeltl started all seven of the Raptors’ playoff games, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles (191) played a lot more minutes than Poeltl (134) in the series. A frontline of Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Murray-Boyles would be small, but very switchable and pretty fierce defensively. Upgrading from Ingram to Leonard gives the Raptors a great chance to have another top-five defense and be stronger on that end of the floor against the best teams in the league.
Contract Status and Upcoming Schedule
On June 30, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Leonard’s representatives informed interested teams on the trade market that he would only be willing to sign an extension with the Raptors and envisioned ending his career in Toronto. Charania also reported July 6 that Leonard and the Raptors were expected to start
discussions on an extension following the trade, and Leonard is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized. Seven years after leading the Toronto Raptors to a championship and immediately leaving in free agency, Kawhi Leonard is coming back.
Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games. The 35-year-old is coming off a dominant 2025-26 campaign in Los Angeles, averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game. He also recorded 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals on a nightly basis while finishing the year with 50.5/38.7/89.2 shooting splits. Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players.
Toronto compiled a 46-36 record and earned a playoff berth last season led by Scottie Barnes, who earned his second career All-Star nod and finished No. 5 in Defensive Player of the Year voting. With Barnes and Leonard leading the way, the Raptors are expecting to contend for a championship in 2027. Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.
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