Raptors, Clippers Reagree to Kawhi Leonard Trade — SkimNews

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- The Toronto Raptors and LA Clippers re-agreed to a Kawhi Leonard deal originally struck June 30, per ESPN, after it was frozen during the NBA's investigation into the Clippers' salary cap circumvention involving Leonard's endorsements.
- The Raptors send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected 2031 and 2033 first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap, and second-rounders in 2030 and 2033 to Los Angeles for Leonard.
- The Clippers were stripped of five of their own first-round picks (2029–2033) and still owe three years of pick control to Oklahoma City and Philadelphia from the James Harden deal, leaving their draft cupboard nearly bare.
- Kawhi Leonard is owed $50 million in 2026-27 in the final year of his contract and is expected to sign an extension with Toronto, which he had pre-approved as a designated destination.
- Leonard played 65 games last season—his healthiest in nearly a decade—finishing seventh in MVP voting and earning All-NBA second-team honors, reducing the health risk that typically shadows him.
- The Raptors were nine points worse per 100 possessions when Brandon Ingram was on the floor last season, per Cleaning the Glass, underscoring that the upgrade is as much subtraction as addition.
- Toronto is listed at +850 to win the Eastern Conference per FanDuel (as of Sept. 14), behind the Knicks (+360), 76ers (+400), and Celtics (+550), after a 46-win season and a seven-game first-round loss to Cleveland.
- Owner Steve Ballmer said the Clippers are 'committing to put this chapter behind us' after the organization accepted NBA penalties and he was suspended, per a Sunday statement ahead of the owners meetings.
Why it matters: The Raptors swap Brandon Ingram—who posted a -9 net rating per 100 possessions per Cleaning the Glass—for Kawhi Leonard, converting a 46-win first-round exit into a viable Eastern Conference contender at +850 odds. The gamble costs $50 million in 2026-27 salary plus four draft picks and hinges entirely on Leonard sustaining his 65-game workload through a deep playoff run.
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