The Kawhi Leonard situation may not be as locked in as it once looked for Toronto.
Brian Windhorst raised the possibility on the Hoop Collective podcast that the Raptors could revisit the terms of the expected trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, pointing to how much the balance of power has shifted after the Clippers’ salary cap circumvention scandal.
“And what I would say going forward is, watch this space for what happens with this Kawhi-Toronto trade…”
“If I’m Toronto, I might open up the terms. I mean, it’d be uncomfortable to have Brandon Ingram back, but, you know.
I’m just saying, like, I’m going to watch that space… Because how many times during this podcast did I reference that? It’s a big swing piece.”
The reported package has been Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a 2027 first-round swap, and two second-round picks going to the Clippers for Leonard. Windhorst’s point is that Toronto may now have room to press for less draft compensation than originally discussed.
The players could still need to stay in the deal because of salary-matching, but the draft-pick side is where the Raptors might be able to make changes. That could mean taking out one first-round pick, removing the swap, cutting back the second-rounders, or some mix of those moves.
There’s no report that Toronto has actually asked for new terms. Windhorst was simply identifying the opening created by the Clippers’ current situation.
That situation is ugly. The Clippers have been fined $30 million, stripped of five future first-round picks, and seen Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Gillian Zucker suspended.
And with Leonard having publicly indicated that he expects to return to the Raptors, the Clippers are in a weak spot. They have little incentive to bring him back, and that only adds to Toronto’s leverage.
It matters even more because those draft picks mean a lot more to the Clippers now than they did before the punishment. Windhorst had previously said moving Leonard could help the Clippers get back two first-round picks right away after losing five. If Toronto were to pull one of those picks out of the deal, the Clippers’ road back would get even steeper.
For now, the original framework is still the one being reported. But Windhorst made clear he thinks Toronto has reason to take a hard look before turning it into a done deal.
In Other News...
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What makes the punishment sting even more is how broad it reached beyond the player himself. Leonard was fined for the violations tied to those off-court income opportunities and for not reimbursing the Clippers for personal expenses, while the fallout also swept up the people around him, including a five-year league ban for Dennis Robertson and a one-year suspension for Steve Ballmer. It is the kind of ruling that closes one chapter only to leave the bigger question hanging over how this all happened in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
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Raptors Fans Can Finally See The End Of This Kawhi Saga
Kawhi Leonards long-running NBA investigation finally has a conclusion, and for Toronto fans that alone is a meaningful step toward closure. The league wrapped up its review of Leonard and the Clippers, and while Los Angeles took the punishment in the form of a hefty fine, a lost bundle of future first-round picks and a yearlong owner suspension, Leonards own contract was left intact.
From the Raptors side, the more relevant detail is what comes next. Reports say Leonard is preparing for a trade back to Toronto, and the league is now waiting on both teams to formally submit the transaction. There is still no official timetable, but after months of uncertainty around the saga, the remaining question is no longer whether the NBA will step in again, only when the deal gets filed. [Read more 🡒]