Seven years after leading the Raptors to their only NBA championship, Kawhi Leonard is on the verge of returning to Toronto.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers are nearing a blockbuster trade that would see Leonard return to the Raps in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-rounders. The move came following several days of reports documenting Leonard’s interest in reuniting with the Raps after joining the Clippers as a free agent in 2019.
Leonard turned 35 on Monday and has one year remaining on his current contract at $50.3 million.
The Raptors acquired Leonard from the Spurs in a 2018 trade that sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick back to San Antonio. Leonard had just one year left on his contract at the time, raising questions about his long-term future in Toronto when the trade took place. And while speculation of a short stay proved to be correct, Leonard and the Raps made the most of their time together.
Leonard was coming off an injury that limited him to just nine games during the regular season the year before, but he was able to stay healthy throughout the year and the team entered the playoffs with 58 wins, their second highest in team history. After eliminating the Orlando Magic in five games in the opening round, Leonard hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 7 in the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers that quickly became the most famous shot in Raptors history. After a 2-0 series comeback against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Final, Leonard and the Raptors conquered the back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Canada for the first time ever.
Leonard averaged 26.6 points per game during the regular season with Toronto and 28.5 per game in the Finals as he captured his second Finals MVP award. He also won in 2014 with the Spurs.
Leonard’s time in Los Angeles didn’t go nearly as smoothly. The Clippers won just three playoff series during his seven seasons in L.A. and have not advanced past the opening round since 2021. He did have one of his best individual seasons last year, averaging a career-best 27.9 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting .505 per cent from the field and .387 per cent from beyond the arc. However, the Clippers finished 42-40 and did not make the postseason.
On the flip side, the Raptors tallied 46 wins and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. They were ultimately eliminated in the opening round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, but it still marked their best season in a while.
Now, general manager Bobby Webster and the rest of the Raptors hope adding Leonard to a core that includes Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett can help Toronto take another step forward in the Eastern Conference.
