Kawhi Leonard turns to new agent as Raptors talks near

Kawhi Leonard has hired Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports as his new agent, setting the stage for contract extension talks with the Toronto Raptors shortly after his trade from the Los Angeles Clippers becomes official. Leonard, 35, has one year remaining on a $

By the time the next deal conversation starts, Kawhi Leonard will be walking into it with a different representative.

Leonard, the Toronto Raptors star, has hired Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports as his agent, with a contract extension expected to be the next major step. The move comes as the Raptors prepare to discuss a new agreement after Leonard’s trade from the Los Angeles Clippers becomes official this week.

Gaines is expected to meet with the Raptors to talk through terms, and the timing matters: the postseason spotlight that followed Leonard to Toronto has been matched by the business pressure that comes with a shortened runway. Leonard is 35 and has one year left on his contract worth $50.3 million.

If the sides move toward an extension. Leonard would be eligible for a deal of up to two years and $123.7 million. The structure is simple on paper. but the stakes are anything but—especially in a trade that was built around a specific kind of star impact. Leonard won Finals MVP with the Raptors in 2019.

The acquisition itself was heavy. The Raptors reportedly sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to the Clippers to bring Leonard to Toronto.

Gaines is not a total stranger to Leonard’s orbit. He has also represented Leonard as his business attorney. Before Gaines. Leonard had Mitch Frankel as his agent. a relationship connected to the way Leonard has long handled his affairs through family involvement—Frankel worked alongside Leonard’s uncle. Dennis Robertson.

Even as Toronto lines up extension conversations, the other side of the transaction still has complications attached. The Clippers are under NBA investigation over Leonard’s current deal for salary-cap circumvention. including money being funneled to the NBA star through an environmental bank called Aspiration.

That combination—extension talks on one end and an investigation on the other—turns the next chapter into more than a standard negotiation. The Raptors will meet Leonard’s new agent as they try to lock in what they already paid for. while the league inquiry adds a cloud that could shape how teams and players think about similar deals going forward.

For now, Leonard’s focus appears to be clear: hire a new agent, sit down with the Raptors, and press toward an extension before the final year of his $50.3 million contract runs out.

Kawhi Leonard Harrison Gaines SLASH Sports Toronto Raptors contract extension NBA investigation Los Angeles Clippers Aspiration salary-cap circumvention Brandon Ingram Gradey Dick