The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers are acting like the Kawhi Leonard trade is already done, even with the NBA’s investigation still hanging over it.
That confidence matters because the deal has not been fully cleared yet. Leonard’s move from the Clippers to Toronto - with Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft compensation going the other way - was supposed to be one of the biggest swings of the offseason. Instead, the league’s review of Leonard’s salary cap scandal put the brakes on the process and left open the possibility that the trade could be voided.
Still, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that neither side is panicking. As he put it:
“They [the Raptors] were not aware that the trade would be halted. They understood that the investigation is ongoing… The investigation has been ongoing for a while, and yet, they still don’t have a ‘smoking gun’. So, a team like the Toronto Raptors was very comfortable in trying to trade and acquire Kawhi Leonard because they believed the same thing that if there were really something that would more than stick, it would have come already.”
“I do believe that the deal will ultimately go through. I don’t know what the NBA, with their independent investigation, are going to find… But the Raptors, they were very comfortable in making this deal, but they did not know that the league was going to put a halt on the trade. But still, I talked to both sides, and both sides still feel like this thing will be resolved, a trade will occur.”
Haynes also said Ingram and Dick were already around the Clippers during Summer League in Las Vegas, sitting on the bench like they were part of the team. That kind of visual doesn’t make the paperwork official, but it does show how both sides are carrying themselves.
Toronto has been doing the same. Leonard has already been included in team social events, another sign that the Raptors are moving as if the deal will stick.
At Kyle Lowry’s retirement press conference, Lowry said the team’s goal after bringing in Leonard was to win a championship. Scottie Barnes has also spoken up about the move, saying it could put the league on notice.
If the trade survives the investigation, Toronto will have every reason to feel good about its position. Leonard, now 35, is coming off one of his strongest seasons in years.
He averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from three. He also finished seventh in MVP voting.
The Clippers may get something out of the deal, but the Raptors are the team that looks transformed by it. Once the move is finalized, Toronto will look like a real threat in the East again. For now, both sides appear to believe the same thing: the trade will get resolved, and Leonard will end up in Toronto.
In Other News...
Raptors May Need Summer League To Solve A Problem Fast
If the Kawhi Leonard trade is completed and he signs the expected extension, the Raptors will be staring at a much tighter financial picture than they are used to. That kind of squeeze makes the margins around the roster even smaller, which is why Summer League suddenly matters a lot more than usual. Toronto is trying to build around a projected starting group of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, but the bigger question is how the rest of the team gets filled in without much room to spend.
The concern goes beyond just finding bodies. The Raptors already look thin in the middle, and the injury risk attached to several key pieces only raises the stakes for getting the back end of the roster right. So while Summer League often serves as a development stop, it may also be one of the few real chances Toronto has to identify affordable young players who can handle actual minutes when the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Could Lose Another Homegrown Gem For A Brutal Reason
Jamal Shead has already shown why he matters to Toronto, carving out a real role during the 2025-26 season and then taking on even more responsibility in the playoffs. When Immanuel Quickley was injured, Shead started four postseason games, logged heavy minutes and made his presence felt on both ends, the kind of homegrown development the Raptors have long valued.
The problem is that the business side may not line up with the basketball side. Michael Granger noted that Torontos payroll is becoming increasingly top-heavy, and if Kawhi Leonard signs a two-year extension, the Raptors could find themselves with limited flexibility when Shead reaches restricted free agency after the 2026-27 season. Toronto would have the right to match outside offers, but whether it can actually afford to do so is the part that could turn a promising internal success story into a difficult roster decision. [Read more 🡒]