Kawhi Leonard spent one season and one season only playing for the Toronto Raptors. Canadians will never forget that 2018-19 season, and Leonard will forever be viewed as one of the greatest Raptors ever because he delivered the team a championship. After his lone season in Toronto, Leonard left for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Reports are swirling that he could be traded this offseason, though, and a return to the Raptors has been rumored. Toronto was in on LaMelo Ball before the point guard was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Ball of the table, the Raptors may turn their attention to their former superstar.
Jake Fischer reports that the Raptors are very interested in Leonard, and although the San Diego State product would prefer to stay with the Clippers, he would consider signing a long-term extension if traded to Toronto. This is big news for the Raptors, considering Leonard served as a mere rental the last time he played for them. So, what could a Leonard-to-Toronto trade look like?
Raptors trade offer for Kawhi Leonard
Toronto Raptors receive: Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers receive: Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, first-round pick
When the Raptors traded for Leonard in 2018, they gave up DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick. Danny Green was included in the package that went to Toronto. A very similar trade could be what brings Leonard back home. Poeltl is now back with the Raptors and may have to be included in a trade to make the money work.
The center has been a good but not great starter for the Raptors, and the team would have to hope for development from Sandro Mamukelashvili, assuming he is re-signed. Furthermore, the Raptors would include RJ Barrett. Barrett, like DeRozan, plays the shooting guard and small forward positions and has a fixation with the mid-range shot. Both Leonard trades did/would include exactly one first-round pick, too.
Nobody is left on the Raptors roster from their championship-winning squad, but Leonard would fit right back in on this new iteration of the team. The Raptors are long and lanky, and they thrive on the defensive end. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, for example, are elite defenders. Leonard, of course, is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner and one of the greatest defenders in NBA history.
With him on the roster, Toronto would swarm their opponents and grind out wins in a ’90s-like style of hoops. Leonard would again be capable of carrying the offensive burden, too. While injuries have held him back in recent years, when the former number 15 pick is healthy, he is one of the most dominant scorers in the NBA, capable of putting the ball in the bucket from all three levels. The seven-time All-Star averaged 27.9 points per game last season.
A Toronto reunion would be more than just poetic for the two-time champion. Although the Raptors could use more guard play and 3-point shooting, they know better than anyone what Leonard can do for championship aspirations. The Raptors are clearly being aggressive in pursuing stars via the trade market, and a return to Toronto makes tons of sense for Leonard.
Would the Clippers trade Leonard?
While the Clippers reportedly want to retain Leonard, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the team ended up moving him. They traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac last season, and they let Paul George go not long before that. The Clippers are clearly all in on rebuilding mode after the team’s championship pushes with Leonard leading the way fell short, but they haven’t completely blown the roster up.
It would make sense to continue to prioritize getting younger while still fielding a competitive team. The team already traded for up-and-coming players such as Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, and they just selected Keaton Wagler fifth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. Barrett and Poeltl would fit right in with this trend of resetting but not completely restarting.
Leonard only has one more deal on his contract, and injury issues have been a constant battle during his time with the Clippers. It is time to move on, and a trade with the Raptors makes a lot of sense.
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