Wait is over: Kawhi Leonard returning to Toronto as blockbuster deal set to become official

Trade for draft picks, Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick finally completed, pending a trade call, after months of waiting.

Published Sep 14, 2026  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  4 minute read

Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers looks on during the second half of a game against the Toronto Raptors in 2024. Getty Images

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The greatest playoff performer in Toronto Raptors history is nearly officially back in the fold.

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The stunning trade between the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers to return Kawhi Leonard to Toronto first agreed to on July 30 but paused while the NBA investigated Los Angeles for salary cap circumvention, was signed off on Monday by both sides, with only an official trade call to follow in the near future, ESPN first reported.

The Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer agreed Monday after “utilizing the last 13 days to absorb the league’s punishment and work through internal logistics,” ESPN reported

Toronto will send a pair of future first-round picks, two second rounders and the a pick swap option next summer, along with 2025-26 all-star forward Brandon Ingram and prospect Gradey Dick for Leonard, who turned 35 shortly after the deal was first agreed to, but remains one of the top players in the league.

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The Clippers had aggressively fought any charges of illegality for a full year since Pablo Torre’s investigative work prompted an NBA investigation through a law firm, which was finally completed earlier this month. They’d long insisted they did nothing wrong and merely introduced Leonard’s camp to team sponsors.

Ballmer, one of the richest humans on the planet, had vowed to fight the penalties doled out by the league, including a $30-million US fine and a year-long ban for Ballmer and other Clippers executives, with one getting six months.

Leonard was only fined $700,000, which multiple reports said over the past two weeks significantly irked Ballmer and the Clippers who had hoped to build a dynasty when he and Paul George were brought in in tandem in 2019, just after Leonard led the Raptors to the NBA championship.

Of course, that all went spectacularly wrong on the court, and was even more disastrous off it in the end, considering the many first-round draft picks taken away from the Clippers in the fallout.

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But now everyone can finally move on, with Ballmer releasing a statement late Sunday to Clippers fans.

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The NBA’s board of governors meetings in New York began Monday (for the first time in years without Larry Tanenbaum, the Raptors’ long-time co-owner, as its chairman now that Rogers is finishing off its full takeover of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Ltd.) 

Leonard, the 2019 NBA Finals MVP after leading the Raptors to a title before leaving for Los Angeles —  a true what-if moment in Raptors franchise history, right up there with what if Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady stayed together? — will now team up with rising superstar Scottie Barnes and a solid supporting cast in Toronto.

Expect the Raptors and Leonard to work out a contract extension to add two more years to his final deal signed with the Clippers. Those could add around $125 million to the $50.3 million Leonard will make as Toronto’s highest-paid player in 2026-27.

Leonard had ditched his uncle and advisor Dennis Robertson and longtime agent Mitch Frankel, replaced by Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports, before the NBA made its rulings on the case. Gaines is most known for representing LaMelo and Lonzo Ball when they. broke into the NBA, but has also had clients who played for the Raptors in Jalen McDaniels and Austin Daye.

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Not without risk

Leonard only played in 59% of the Clippers’ regular-season games after leaving Toronto and in 69% of the post-season games. The Clippers won fewer combined rounds than Toronto did in Leonard’s lone season north of the border.

Still, he remains one of the most dominant offensive weapons in NBA history and can still defend like few others when engaged on that end of the floor.

In Leonard, Scottie Barnes and sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto will now boast three of the most imposing physical forces in the entire NBA.

How does roster stand

Toronto’s projected starting lineup is Leonard and Barnes in the front-court, with Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley at point guard and RJ Barrett at shooting guard.

A pair of 21-year-olds are pushing for court time in Murray-Boyles and wing Ja’Kobe Walter, who had a great finish to the regular season and a strong playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Toronto ultimately fell short in seven games, but was without Quickley and Ingram for all or most of the series.

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Point guard Jamal Shead, 12-year-veteran forward Kyle Anderson (who spent the first four seasons of his career with Leonard in San Antonio) should complete the rotation.

Beyond them, youngsters Allen Graves (the 19th pick of June’s draft), Alijah Martin and Jaden Bradley (Toronto’s second round picks in the last two years), sharp-shooter Jamison Battle, big man Trayce Jackson-Davis and defender Chucky Hepburn will all try to earn the trust of head coach Darko Rajakovic.

Hepburn was hurt for most of his rookie campaign but has a lot of fans in the organization. So does Martin. Rajakovic couldn’t find a role for trade deadline acquisition Jackson-Davis, but Battle was called on in the playoffs against Cleveland.

@WolstatSun

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