Kawhi Leonard Dealt to the Raptors Again as Clippers Begin Rebuild

Eight years after their franchise-altering move for Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors have swung the same trade again.

This time, the team is sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a pick swap in 2027 and two second-round picks in 2030 and 2033 to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Leonard joins Toronto once more in the final season before free agency, mirroring the conditions of his 2018 arrival.

The Raptors are aiming to raise their ceiling through a similar risk, hoping for comparable results.

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Last season, the 34-year-old seven-time All-Star averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game on a career-high usage rate. Only LeBron James has recorded a better box plus/minus at that age or older.

Leonard has made 40.5% of his three-pointers since returning from an ACL tear that sidelined him for the 2021-22 season.

That shooting accuracy nearly equals Stephen Curry’s 40.6% mark over the same span. Among 60 players with at least a 25% usage rate over the past four seasons, Leonard ranks 10th in true shooting percentage.

He posted a 1.9 steals per game average last season, a top-five figure in the league, with other top-five players all being 25 or younger.

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Leonard’s presence has consistently improved team performance. In every season with the Clippers, his on/off differential was in double digits, according to Cleaning the Glass, putting him among league leaders annually.

Some advanced metrics even rated him ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo, positioning Leonard as potentially the best player traded during the offseason.

Leonard’s availability remains a major question. Over the past four seasons he has played 52, 68, 37 and 65 games, a rate of 67.7% of the Clippers’ games. He made the All-NBA second team in both seasons he reached 65 games. In the 2023 and 2024 playoffs combined, he appeared in four of 11 possible games.

Toronto’s gamble comes from a need for higher-level offensive production. The Raptors’ top four scorers last season maintained nearly identical efficiency levels, and the team finished 15th in offensive rating overall.

In the postseason, they recorded an offensive rating of 111.9, which was the lowest among Cleveland’s three playoff opponents.

Quickley missed the playoff series, while Ingram missed two games, with the team struggling regardless. Barnes, despite his strong defensive presence, made only 30% of his three-point attempts last season on reduced volume, diminishing his outlook as a lead scoring option.

Unlike the 2018 trade, the Raptors’ current core has less postseason experience. That previous group, led by DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, had repeatedly fallen short in the playoffs before the Leonard acquisition changed their trajectory.

The current roster, featuring Barnes and other developing players, is less proven but equipped with defensive strength.

Toronto finished fifth in defensive rating last season, trailing only Oklahoma City, Detroit, San Antonio and Boston.

With Leonard, Barnes and sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles anchoring the defense, the Raptors aim to fortify their identity on that end while upgrading scoring through Leonard.

In contrast with the earlier trade, this one came at a steeper draft cost. In 2018, Toronto sent only one first-round pick for Leonard and Danny Green.

The modern trade landscape, altered by superstar deals for Anthony Davis and Paul George, now routinely requires multiple picks and swaps.

Leonard’s reported willingness to sign an extension only with Toronto or Los Angeles helped limit the Raptors’ cost. Despite giving up three future first-round assets, they retained four others, preserving flexibility for additional moves.

For the Clippers, this deal symbolizes the end of an era. The franchise has not won a playoff series since 2021, posting winning records but falling early each postseason.

Their 16 leading scorers from the 2022-23 roster have all since departed through a mix of trades and free agency, including Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Norman Powell, James Harden and Ivica Zubac.

The result has been a complete overhaul. Los Angeles was the league’s oldest team in each of the past three seasons but will now move toward youth around Darius Garland and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler.

Brook Lopez, at 38, and Kris Dunn, at 32, are the only remaining players in their 30s.

Draft pick obligations remain an obstacle. The Clippers lack a first-rounder in 2028 and owe swaps to the Thunder in 2027 and the 76ers in 2029, though they will receive a 2029 first-round pick from the Pacers via the Zubac trade.

Further losses could occur depending on the outcome of the NBA’s Aspiration investigation.

Owner Steve Ballmer and the front office have shifted strategy after half a decade of playoff disappointment. The Leonard-George pairing peaked in 2021 when Leonard’s ACL tear hindered their first conference finals appearance.

Since then, trades for Harden and reunions with Chris Paul and Bradley Beal produced minimal results; Paul and Beal played 22 total games last season.

The Clippers can now use Toronto’s picks to rebuild and may shop veterans for additional value. Brandon Ingram’s contract, valued at $40 million in 2026-27 with a $41.9 million player option for 2027-28, could complicate trade efforts.

Lopez, Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. may attract attention due to suitable roles and smaller salaries, with Jones earning $10.5 million next season.

Though Los Angeles has exited the NBA spotlight, the return from the Leonard trade offers a foundation for its rebuild. The team moves beyond the Leonard-George era while repositioning for future growth.

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