Kawhi Leonard Traded to Raptors in Clippers Deal

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June 30, 2026

Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor again. The Los Angeles Clippers traded Leonard to Toronto on June 30, 2026. The deal reunites Leonard with the franchise Leonard led to the 2019 title.

Clippers Pivot Hard as Leonard Heads Back to Toronto

The Clippers sent Leonard to Toronto for Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick headline the package heading to Los Angeles. The Clippers also landed unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033. Toronto added 2030 and 2033 second-round picks plus a 2027 first-round swap. The trade closed one day after the Clippers and Raptors opened formal talks.

Leonard averaged 27.9 points across 65 games in the 2025-26 season. Leonard added 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for the Clippers. Leonard measures 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. That two-way profile makes Leonard the clear centerpiece of Toronto’s return. Leonard appeared in 65 of a possible 82 games last season. Leonard also carried a scoring load the Clippers must now replace.

Leonard won the 2019 NBA Finals MVP with the Raptors. Leonard delivered Toronto its first and only championship in that 2019 run. Leonard also won the 2014 Finals MVP with the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard now joins LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with Finals MVP awards for two franchises.

Leonard intends to sign a two-year extension with the Raptors through 2028-29. The extension would keep Leonard in Toronto for three more seasons. The Clippers now hold five draft assets from the Leonard trade. Those assets include two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033. The Clippers can chase replacement talent with that pick capital.

Toronto acquires a two-time Finals MVP as its new title anchor. The Raptors pair Leonard with a young core built partly around Gradey Dick before the trade. Toronto last reached the NBA Finals in that 2019 Leonard season. The move signals Toronto is chasing contention now, not a slow rebuild.

Toronto opens the 2026-27 season expecting Leonard as its centerpiece. The Clippers enter July 1 free agency with fresh cap flexibility. Both franchises reset their timelines through one Leonard trade. The market now waits on where the freed Clippers spending lands next.