Kawhi Leonard is going back to Toronto. Yes, you read that right.
The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to trade the 35 year old forward to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first round pick swap, and two second round picks. That is a huge haul, and it signals that Toronto is going all in on a title run.
The Clippers opted against extending Kawhi. Instead they cashed in the trade market and pulled in a substantial return that resets their franchise timeline. That is the honest read on the deal. Los Angeles is in transition. Toronto is chasing a championship window again.
Leonard famously delivered a title to Toronto in 2019, his one and only season with the franchise. He hit “The Shot” against Philadelphia. He carried the Raptors to their first championship. Then he left in free agency to sign with the Clippers, breaking Toronto’s heart in the process.
Seven years later, he is back. That is one of the wilder narratives in recent NBA history.
Toronto is now built around Kawhi and Scottie Barnes, with a legitimate championship contending frontcourt when Kawhi is healthy. That is the eternal caveat with Kawhi. He is one of the most talented players in the world when he is on the floor. He has struggled with availability for the last five years.
The Raptors’ plan is straightforward. Load manage Kawhi through the regular season. Get him to the playoffs with fresh legs. Watch him take over series when it matters. That worked in 2019. Can it work again in 2027?
The Raptors are also planning to sign Kawhi to an extension. Toronto is expected to begin negotiations this week on a deal that could go up to two years and $123.7 million. He has a new agent handling those talks, which is another wrinkle.
For the Clippers, the return is real. Ingram gives them a scoring wing who fits well next to James Harden in the short term. Dick is a shooter. The draft capital reshapes their long term flexibility. That is the type of return you take when you know your current core is not winning a championship.
Los Angeles has to figure out its identity now. Kawhi is gone. Paul George is gone. Harden’s future is uncertain. What is left is a roster looking for its next core, and there is no obvious answer. Chris Paul cannot lead a title team by himself.
Toronto, on the other hand, just made itself relevant again. The Raptors were floating in the middle of the Eastern Conference. Adding Kawhi thrusts them into the mix with New York, Cleveland, Miami, and Philadelphia. That is a crowded field, but Toronto now has the type of star player who can win a series by himself.
Scottie Barnes just got a running mate. RJ Barrett gets to slide into a supporting role. The Raptors’ bench has been building depth. This is a legitimate playoff push, and if Kawhi stays healthy, a legitimate title threat.
Toronto fans are going to embrace this. The 2019 championship remains a treasured moment in the city’s sports history, and now the guy who delivered it is back to try again. It is a rare NBA reunion story. Let us hope this one has a good third act.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
