Raptors trade – Kawhi Leonard’s final contract year with the Clippers has triggered renewed trade interest from the Toronto Raptors, with GM Bobby Webster acknowledging Toronto will be opportunistic in the summer and at the next deadline.
The idea of Kawhi Leonard landing north of the border again is starting to feel less like a long shot.
Leonard. 35. is in the final year of his current contract. which pays him $50.3 million before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. That matters because it turns what used to be pure speculation into a real trading window — especially for a Raptors team that. per earlier reporting. has already shown “registered interest” in reuniting with the seven-time all-star.
Leonard’s openness is part of what has shifted the temperature. He would be “open to signing an extension” if he were dealt to Toronto, while his preference remains staying with his hometown Clippers.
Toronto’s side isn’t pretending it’s in a rebuilding phase without leverage, either. GM Bobby Webster acknowledged that the organization plans to make moves when the timing is right. After Round 1 of the NBA Draft on Tuesday. Webster told reporters: “Having a lot of assets. having our first-round picks. having players under rookie-scale contracts. that allowed us to build and be the youngest team in the playoffs. But at a certain point. we want to be opportunistic in the trade market. so we’ll look to do that in the summer and next trade deadline.”.
Leonard is arriving to the trade market with a season that feels built for a team trying to win now. In 65 appearances, he averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals on 50.5/38.7/89.2 per cent shooting splits. He finished tied for seventh in MVP voting and earned the seventh all-NBA selection of his career, landing second-team all-NBA.
He also carried Toronto’s playoff opponent (and anyone tracking his health) by posting a strong postseason profile last spring. averaging 24.1 points — tied with Scottie Barnes for the team lead — along with seven rebounds. four assists and 1.3 steals. That production came on 38.6 per cent shooting from beyond the arc, including a Game 6 winning-shot. Leonard is extension-eligible at 25 years old in the reporting. with his playoff run landing at a moment where Toronto has reason to believe a veteran can still move the needle.
But Toronto is also weighing what it would take on the other side. The report leaves the price unclear. even as the Raptors have all their own first- and second-round picks until 2032. plus a handful of prospects and expiring salaries. Still. any deal would have to reconcile roster realities and payroll math — and it isn’t as if the Raptors are standing still at the point of negotiation.
Within Toronto’s own situation, the extension clock is already ticking for RJ Barrett. The 25-year-old Barrett is entering the final year of his current contract, is owed $29.6 million before unrestricted free agency, and is in line for a potential raise in 2027-28.
If Leonard is the headline, it’s worth remembering that the Raptors’ front office has been active across multiple directions. The team built its recent competitive rebound around a 46-36 record last season, earning its first playoff appearance since 2022. Toronto eventually lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game first-round series.
And in the offseason churn across the NBA, Toronto hasn’t been limited to one target. The Raptors were reportedly interested in LaMelo Ball before he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have also shown interest in Bucks center Myles Turner if Milwaukee enters a fire sale after the departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Leonard’s own history makes the Toronto angle feel especially loaded. He was famously traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Raptors in 2018 and helped Toronto win its first-ever NBA championship while earning his second Finals MVP award. In that 2018 playoff run, Leonard averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals across 24 playoff games.
Yet his story didn’t stay in Toronto. After that championship, he opted to return home and join forces with Paul George on the Clippers instead of running it back with the Raptors.
Since then, the Clippers have faced the kind of postseason frustration that tends to reshape rosters. They’ve made six playoff appearances in the eight seasons since Leonard left Toronto. but have only one conference finals run to show for it. After a 42-40 season, Los Angeles appears ready for a new direction. At the February trade deadline. the Clippers traded away veterans James Harden and Ivica Zubac. bringing in much younger players in Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin. along with the No. 5 pick, which was used on 19-year-old Keaton Wagler.
Leonard may be the player everyone is talking about, but he’s unlikely to be pursued by only one franchise. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pegged the Detroit Pistons as a team to keep in mind after clearing cap space by trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies.
For the Raptors, the opportunity is clear — but so are the obstacles. Leonard is proven, productive, and on a contract that ends next summer. Toronto says it will explore the trade market in the summer and again at the next trade deadline. Now the question isn’t whether the Raptors can reach the market. It’s whether they can close the distance fast enough. and with the right offer. before the Clippers — and whoever else has cap space — makes the final move.
Kawhi Leonard Toronto Raptors trade talks NBA Bobby Webster Clippers Paul George RJ Barrett Myles Turner LaMelo Ball Giannis Antetokounmpo Pistons Isaiah Stewart Memphis Grizzlies