Raptors weigh Kawhi reunion as Clippers talks drag on

Raptors discussed – Toronto is discussing a trade that could bring Kawhi Leonard back from the Los Angeles Clippers, with a potential package built around Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. But the Raptors’ interest appears preliminary as the NBA heads into free agency, with other r

By the time the NBA’s free agency clock starts turning Tuesday night, the Raptors may already be bracing for a different kind of offseason drama—one that starts with a familiar name, and ends with a tough trade math.

Toronto has discussed the possibility of a deal that would send for Kawhi Leonard. the two-time NBA Finals MVP who delivered the Raptors’ lone championship in 2019. Two sources close to the situation confirmed Sunday that the Raptors have talked through a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that could bring Leonard back to Toronto.

The idea has also been reported previously by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. but what matters most now is the shape of the possible swap. The most likely construction. per one source. would center on a package including 2026 all-star Brandon Ingram and third-year wing Gradey Dick. designed to line up salary. The Raptors would likely have to add draft picks as additional compensation.

Leonard, 35, has one year and $50.3 million left on his Clippers contract. Per sources. he is unlikely to secure an extension in Los Angeles. and he’s open to moving to a team willing to extend his deal beyond the upcoming season. One source framed the tension plainly: “The Clippers aren’t going to commit to anything with him. so it looks like he’s trying to strong-arm his way out of there.”.

Another source pointed to a different obstacle for any would-be buyer: “The Clippers are willing to move him … and I think a lot of teams are wary of acquiring Kawhi because you just don’t know if he’s going to play … there’s risk there. obviously. Toronto had him, and so maybe feels more comfortable that he would play for them, could play for them.”.

That comfort is rooted in how the last chapter ended in Toronto. The Raptors acquired Leonard in the summer of 2018 in a trade with San Antonio, and he left for the Clippers in free agency in the days after leading Toronto to their only championship.

Still, even with that history, nothing about a Leonard return is straightforward. There are trade frameworks that could involve RJ Barrett’s expiring deal as a possible starting point, but one detail stands out: Barrett is not likely to be part of any Clippers deal.

What’s also not clear is how close the talks are to becoming real enough to produce an actual offer. A couple of sources suggested Sunday that a move could be pending. but the predominant view was that everything is moving slower. One source said, “They’ve talked, but it’s pretty preliminary.” Another added, “It’s not close.”.

The timing matters because the chatter is building momentum as the NBA opens free agency Tuesday night. The Raptors still have other business to manage at the same time. including power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. who is expected to opt out of the final year of his $2.8-million deal on Monday. Sources said Mamukelashvili is expected to attract multiple offers starting at more than $10 million a year. which could make it hard for Toronto to keep him.

In the background. Leonard’s market appears limited—not because of his talent. but because teams weigh injury history. age. and the risk of buying into a player’s desire to control his own destination. For Toronto. that downside is exactly why this discussion is so loaded: the Raptors would be pursuing a proven championship piece at what they hope is a relative discount.

Leonard comes off a strong season in Los Angeles, earning his seventh all-NBA selection after averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He shot 50.5 per cent from the floor and 38.7 per cent from the three-point line, and he appeared in 65 games.

The durability question never goes away, though. In the six previous years in Los Angeles before last season, Leonard averaged 44 games per year. He also missed the 2021-22 season with injury.

There is another factor that other teams don’t have: Toronto’s vice-president of player health and performance Alex McKechnie. It was McKechnie who helped Leonard get through 60 regular-season games in Toronto after Leonard had been limited to just nine games due to injury in his last season in San Antonio. McKechnie’s plan also included Leonard playing through a postseason run where he led the NBA in post-season minutes.

That approach relied on strategic rest to manage fatigue and injury risk, an idea that became part of the NBA conversation after what the Raptors did with Leonard in Toronto. It was an early, full-season example of “load management,” and it has become far more common since.

If Ingram is the central outgoing piece. Toronto could feel additional comfort in taking on whatever health risk comes with Leonard. Ingram is a productive scorer, and in his time with Toronto he was still the engine at the top. He played 2604 minutes for the Raptors and appeared in 77 games, the most since his rookie season. He led Toronto in scoring during the regular season with 21.5 points per game.

But Ingram’s playoff availability raised concerns. In Toronto’s first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he played just 11 minutes in Game 5 and missed Games 6 and 7 before undergoing surgery for a bone spur in his right heel in early May.

Financially, the contract is substantial. Ingram has two years and $82 million on his deal. The second season is a player option. and the expectation is that if he has a season similar to the one he just had with the Raptors. the soon-to-be 29-year-old will be looking for a contract extension of his own.

The Raptors’ math comes down to the same truth that sits beneath most trade debates: Leonard is the better player, with little argument there. But Ingram also brings his own durability issues—part of why this conversation can feel like both a calculated swing and a risky bet.

There’s also the Raptors’ recent internal momentum. In the first full year as the franchise’s top decision maker. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster speculated about the timing of “maybe start[ing] to push some chips into the middle.” Webster led Toronto’s effort to acquire Leonard back in 2018—an aggressive. franchise-shifting move that led directly to the Raptors’ only championship.

So as free agency approaches and the roster picture grows more complicated. Toronto’s big question isn’t whether it still wants Leonard. It’s whether the price. the timing. and the injury risk can line up the same way they did last time—before Tuesday night turns into another offseason missed opportunity.

Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard Los Angeles Clippers Brandon Ingram Gradey Dick RJ Barrett Sandro Mamukelashvili Bobby Webster Alex McKechnie NBA free agency