The Toronto Raptors are headed into the season with one huge question hanging over everything: will the Kawhi Leonard deal with the Los Angeles Clippers actually happen before training camp begins later this month?
That uncertainty sits at the center of Toronto’s entire offseason. Leonard and the Clippers are still under investigation for alleged salary cap circumvention, and the longer the process drags on, the less likely the trade feels. The Raptors still believe it will get done, but there’s no hiding the fact that the situation remains unsettled.
If it falls apart, Toronto will have spent the summer building toward a move that never materialized. That would leave the team behind the curve at a time when plenty of Eastern Conference rivals have improved, making the climb up the standings even steeper.
The Raptors should still be in the mix for a top-ten finish, especially with nearly a dozen teams battling for play-in spots. But if a couple of those games break the wrong way, Toronto could tumble back into the lottery, just as it did in 2025.
At the same time, the upside is obvious. Leonard was the driving force behind the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, and the idea is that he could help power another surge in 2026. Paired with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Collin Murray-Boyles, he could give Toronto a core with real two-way bite.
That group has the potential to put the Raptors back in the championship conversation. The defense, in particular, could end up among the best in the league, making Toronto a tough out night after night.
Still, there’s plenty standing between the Raptors and the top of the East. Teams like the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers are part of the obstacle course, and Toronto will need health and execution to turn its plans into something real. If that happens, the Raptors could be right there in the thick of it.
In Other News...
Raptors Just Watched A Simple Center Fix Land With A Rival
Miamis latest roster move is the kind of low-drama depth addition teams spend all summer trying to nail down, and it comes in a spot the Raptors know well. Nick Richards, who has already bounced through the Bulls, Suns and Hornets, gives the Heat another big-body option behind their frontcourt regulars, a simple insurance play at center that can matter a lot once the season turns physical and the bench minutes start getting tested.
For Toronto, the ripple effect is in the comparison. The Raptors have spent plenty of time sorting through their own frontcourt balance, and this is the sort of inexpensive, practical center answer that can quietly stabilize a roster before bigger issues show up. Miami found one. Toronto still has to decide whether it wants to keep treating that kind of depth as a luxury or a necessity. [Read more 🡒]
Gradey Dick Uncertainty Adds New Tension To Raptors Kawhi Trade
Nearly two months after the shock of Kawhi Leonards return to Toronto, the trade still has not been finalized, and one of the lesser-discussed pieces in the deal is now adding a fresh layer of uncertainty. Gradey Dick is part of the package headed to the Clippers, but Los Angeles is working through a crowded roster situation that could complicate how the rest of the transaction settles in.
The Clippers are carrying 17 players, which means some kind of roster movement is coming before opening night. For the Raptors, the delay is mostly a paperwork and logistics problem, but it keeps one more part of the Leonard deal in limbo and leaves Dicks short-term future tied to decisions Los Angeles still has to make. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Still Have A Veteran Guard Question Worth Watching
The Raptors still have some roster housekeeping to do, with two open spots leaving them short of the NBA minimum and forcing at least one addition before long. One name worth keeping in the mix is Victor Oladipo, the former two-time All-Star who recently reached out in an open letter to NBA general managers looking for a path back into the league.
Toronto could explore a veteran-minimum deal if it wants to add experience to the back end of the roster, but there is no sign of any immediate movement. The timing still appears tied to the unresolved Kawhi Leonard trade investigation, which has kept the team from making the kind of smaller decisions that might otherwise be on the table. [Read more 🡒]