Kawhi Leonard Returns to Raptors in Trade Talks
Kawhi Leonard is in trade talks to return to the Toronto Raptors. On Thursday, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Leonard was only interested in extending with two possible destinations: his former teams, the Raptors and the Spurs.
The Raptors and Clippers have indeed held 'real' trade conversations involving Leonard moving back to Canada, Fischer reported Sunday.
Leonard's potential return to the Raptors could be a significant boost to their championship hopes. The Clippers, however, may be reluctant to trade him, with owner Steve Ballmer reportedly not wanting to let him go.
The exact return package for Leonard is not clear, but Fischer noted a preference in sending Brandon Ingram back to Los Angeles instead of RJ Barrett as part of the necessary matching salary. The Clippers still owe control over their first-round draft picks through 2029, so adding future draft capital should be a priority.
The Raptors control all of their own first-round picks moving forward and could potentially offer as many as four first-round picks and three first-round swaps for Leonard. However, the final price would surely be lower than that since he is about to turn 35 and has a lengthy history of injuries.
The Clippers will probably ask for Collin Murray-Boyles, a breakout rookie from last season, but the Raptors will almost certainly keep him out of the deal as a necessary piece for next year's roster and beyond. Settling on appropriate asset value through draft picks should be doable.
The bigger question here relates to salary. The Raptors have very limited room beneath the first apron. If they were to make a trade in which they take in more money than they send out, they will be hard-capped there. Any trade in which Barrett's expiring deal is the primary outgoing salary would almost certainly do that, limiting Toronto in building any depth around Leonard.
Realistically, the Clippers are going to need to take back one of Ingram, Immanuel Quickley or Jakob Poeltl, all on less-than-desirable long-term deals, to make this work. The goal for the Raptors would, presumably, be to send out more money than the $50.3 million they'd be taking in with Leonard so that they could instead trigger a second-apron hard cap and have more room to build around him.
On Sunday, Fischer reported that the Clippers and Raptors have held 'real' trade conversations. The NBA is also investigating the sponsorship agreement between Leonard and Aspiration for possible cap circumvention. If the Clippers are found to be guilty, they could lose more draft picks.
The potential trade could have significant implications for both teams. The Raptors would be gaining a championship-winning player, while the Clippers would be gaining valuable draft picks and potentially clearing cap space.
As the trade talks continue, it remains to be seen what the final outcome will be. One thing is certain, however: Kawhi Leonard's future is uncertain, and his potential return to the Raptors could have a significant impact on the NBA landscape.
The Clippers started a youth movement by trading James Harden for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac for Bennedict Mathurin and a collection of draft picks. This move could be a sign that they are willing to rebuild and potentially trade Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard's history with the Raptors is well-documented. He won a championship with the team in 2019 and was named the NBA Finals MVP. His potential return to the team could be a significant boost to their championship hopes.
The trade talks are ongoing, and it remains to be seen what the final outcome will be. As the situation develops, one thing is certain: Kawhi Leonard's future is uncertain, and his potential return to the Raptors could have a significant impact on the NBA landscape.