Kawhi Leonard Returns to Toronto in Blockbuster Trade with Clippers

Seven years after leading the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship and then leaving in free agency, Kawhi Leonard is returning to Toronto. The deal was made official on Monday. The Raptors are re-acquiring their former Finals MVP from the LA Clippers in exchange for Gradey Dick, Brandon Ingram, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks.

Why the Raptors Made the Move

The Raptors were one of the most improved teams in the league last season, winning 16 more games than they did in 2024-25. Statistically, it was their best season in the last six years, with a plus-2.9 points per 100 possessions mark. With this trade, they are clearly hoping to take another step forward and compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Toronto ranked fifth defensively last season, allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions.

Fixing the Late-Game Offense

A stout defense that forces turnovers leads to transition opportunities, and the Raptors ranked third last season with 28.6 transition points per game. But no matter how good their defense is, teams need to score late in the shot clock. That is where the Raptors have struggled. Only the Indiana Pacers had a lower effective field goal percentage in the last six seconds of the shot clock than the Raptors at 43.3 per cent. Leonard should help in that area. 

Over the last three seasons, he has an effective field goal percentage of 53.0 per cent in the last six seconds of the shot clock, which ranks ninth among 131 players with at least 250 late-clock field goal attempts. Leonard and Ingram are two of the 28 players who have isolated at least 1,000 times over the last three seasons. The Pelicans and Raptors scored just 0.99 points per chance when Ingram isolated, ranking 24th. 

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Playoff Pedigree

His 2019 championship run with the Raptors was not Leonard’s only great postseason. He is one of the best playoff performers of all time. There are 89 players in NBA history who have averaged at least 20 points per game over 10 or more playoff games in their career. Leonard has the second-highest true shooting percentage among them at 62.1 per cent, just below Anthony Davis at 62.2 per cent, who has played in less than half as many games. 

Since 2017, Leonard has averaged 28.6 points on a true shooting percentage of 63.2 per cent over 71 playoff games. He is one of five players in NBA history with at least three postseasons where he averaged at least 25 points with a true shooting percentage of 60 per cent or better in 10 games or more. The Raptors scored a little more efficiently than the first-round average as they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games last season.

Clippers Begin a New Era

For the Clippers, this trade seemingly represents the final step of a five-month process to turn over the roster and start building a younger core. They had the league’s fourth-best regular-season record over Leonard’s tenure in LA, but that just means they had the best record among teams that did not win a championship over those seven years. 

A year ago, the Clippers added Bradley Beal, John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Chris Paul to a core of Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac. Now, Lopez is the only one of those seven guys still on the roster. As of Tuesday night, players under contract for 2026-27 account for just 42 per cent of the Clippers’ minutes from 2025-26. That is by far the lowest continuity rate for any team in the league. 

Just five months ago, the Clippers were trying to compete with a veteran group. They ranked 24th in 2025-26 in the percentage of their minutes that came from rookies or second-year players. But they have overhauled the roster since February 1 and, going forward, it will seemingly be built around Darius Garland and rookie guard Keaton Wagler.

What It Means

The Raptors are making a clear push to compete in the Eastern Conference. Leonard gives them a proven closer, a strong defender, and one of the best playoff performers in NBA history. Toronto hopes he can help them take the next step after a promising season. For the Clippers, the trade marks a reset. They are moving on from a veteran core and building around younger players. 

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