Kawhi Leonard is officially heading back to Toronto, nearly three months after the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a blockbuster trade on June 30, with the deal finally completed following the conclusion of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Toronto will receive Leonard, while Los Angeles gets Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033.
Leonard has also waived his 15 percent trade kicker to help facilitate the move, according to Charania.
The trade had been sitting on hold while Toronto waited for the NBA to complete its investigation into the Clippers’ salary cap circumvention involving Leonard. The Raptors risked being left responsible for Leonard’s contract if the league suspended him or voided his deal.
With the investigation now complete and the penalties handed down, Toronto finally had the clearance it needed to move forward.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was fined $30 million and suspended from team activities for one year, while Leonard received a $700,000 fine without a suspension. Ballmer has since confirmed he will accept the NBA’s punishment and will not pursue further legal action, according to NBC Sports.
For Leonard, the move represents a stunning return to the franchise he led to its only NBA championship in 2019.
The 35-year-old remains one of the league’s elite players when healthy, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds across 65 games last season while earning All-NBA honors.
He now joins a Toronto core featuring Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, immediately raising expectations for the Raptors entering the 2026-27 season.
Leonard is also expected to eventually reach an extension with Toronto, although the timing remains unclear, according to NBC Sports.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, adds Ingram and Dick while replenishing some of the draft capital lost through the NBA’s punishment. The Clippers were stripped of five first-round picks as part of the league’s sanctions, making the two unprotected first-rounders coming from Toronto particularly valuable.
After months of uncertainty surrounding Leonard’s future, the deal agreed to back in June is finally done.
And seven years after delivering Toronto its first championship, Leonard is officially a Raptor again.
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