INGLEWOOD CA- As the free agency period opened up around the NBA a blockbuster trade reunited Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in a full circle homecoming.
Seven years after leaving the franchise, Leonard is heading back to the Toronto Raptors. For the Los Angeles Clippers, the blockbuster trade represents more than moving a franchise icon—it marks the beginning of a long-awaited new era.
“There was a preference for Kawhi Leonard to stay in Los Angeles, but once it was made clear there was no future there he settled on Toronto as his preferred landing spot,” said ESPN’S Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania on NBA Today.
The Clippers agreed to send Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for a package centered around Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2031 & 2033 unprotected first round picks, 2030 & 2033 second round picks, and a first round pick swap in 2027.
Leonard’s seven seasons in Los Angeles were filled with both success and disappointment. The Southern California native signed with the Clippers in 2019 after leading Toronto to its first NBA championship and winning finals MVP, joining forces with Paul George in a move expected to bring the Clippers their first NBA title.
While the franchise reached new heights during Leonard’s tenure reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2021, injuries repeatedly interrupted championship aspirations. Despite the setbacks, when on the court Leonard remained one of the league’s elite two-way players.
He rebounded with a healthy 2025-26 campaign, averaging a career-high 27.9 points, playing in 65 games the most in two seasons, while leading the Clippers in scoring and steals.
With the organization looking at a different direction for its future, they decided to cash in on Leonard’s healthy season and get the best trade value for their franchise icon. For Toronto, Leonard’s return is more than a veteran presence to a young roster—it’s a homecoming for one of the city’s icons.
During his lone season with the Raptors in 2018-19, Leonard delivered one of the greatest postseason runs in NBA history, punctuated by ending the hopes of a Golden State Warrior’s three-peat while leading the franchise to its first NBA championship.
In his lone season in Toronto, Leonard won more playoff series four, than in his six seasons with Los Angeles where he only won three in total. His return reunites him with a young core led by Scottie Barnes while giving Raptors fans another chance to embrace the player who forever changed the organization’s history.
For Leonard entering his age 35 season it signals the possible last destination of his career, a place where he feels comfortable even after seven years. “He only wanted to go to one team and give only one team a contract extension commitment and that’s the Toronto Raptors going back to the city that he led to the 2019 NBA championship,” said Charania.
For the Clippers, however, the trade symbolizes something equally significant. The Leonard-Paul George era officially comes to an end, allowing the organization to reset after years of chasing a championship built around superstar veterans.
Rather than remaining tied to an aging core, Los Angeles now adds younger talent, valuable draft assets and financial flexibility factors which the organization hasn’t had since signing Leonard in 2019. For Toronto, Leonard’s return revives memories of championship glory while offering hope that another deep playoff run could be on the horizon.
For the Clippers, saying goodbye to the face of their franchise is bittersweet, but it also provides clarity and a fresh direction. One chapter closes in Los Angeles. Another begins in Toronto. And for Leonard, basketball’s quiet superstar has come full circle.
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