Perhaps the Toronto Raptors didn’t think re-acquiring Kawhi Leonard would be this hard. The Los Angeles Clippers said yes. But the NBA said to hold on.
In late June, the Raptors and Clippers agreed to a trade that sent Leonard, who departed Toronto for L.A. as a free agent in 2019, back to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft capital. With Leonard still involving multiple investigations tied to cap circumvention, the 35-year-old star is technically still a Clipper until further notice.
If they don’t already, the Raptors have to have a plan B they can reach for if the Leonard trade isn’t ratified. Looking to continue their ascension into title-contending status, the Raptors have the foundation of a rising Eastern Conference contender; perhaps they just need an All-Star veteran presence to push them over the top.
If No Kawhi Leonard for the Raptors, Then What?
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 14: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on December 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
If Toronto ends up watching Leonard get sent back to the Clippers this offseason, the franchise will have to pivot quickly. One player who makes sense for the superstar-needy Raptors is 11-time All-Star guard James Harden. With Harden and forward Brandon Ingram having almost identical contracts, Toronto can work out a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here’s a three-team framework that takes the Raptors up another level next season.
Raptors receive: James Harden (via sign-and-trade; three-year, $112 million contract) and Herbert Jones
Cavs receive: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans receive: Gradey Dick, Jamison Battle and a 2027 second round pick.
In this trade, the Raptors get the elite playmaker they’ve lacked since Kyle Lowry’s heyday. Last season, the timeless Harden averaged nearly 21 points and eight assists per game. Harden, who turned 37 this month, remains one of the league’s top table-setters.
We can already imagine those Harden-Barnes pick and rolls ending in an alley-oop slam.
The Raptors also pick up an elite on-ball defender in Jones, adding to the team’s impressive collection of defensive dynamos, including Scottie Barnes, Jamal Shead and standout young forward Collin Murray-Boyles.
Toronto Has Reason to Believe Kawhi Trade Will Finalize
According to Raptors insider Michael Grange, the signs are slowly starting to point to Leonard returning to the Raptors.
“Per league sources, there’s a belief the investigation has already moved beyond its fact-finding stage and the parties involved — specifically the Clippers and the NBPA (which is monitoring the situation to see what if any consequences befall Leonard) — are working quietly to get the entire issue resolved, something Silver hinted at back on July 14 when he last spoke publicly on the issue. The most likely outcome? A negotiated settlement where the NBA gets to enforce some version of its rules, Ballmer can save face and Leonard can play for the Raptors,” Grange wrote.
But with no concrete end in sight, Raptors reporter Jeremy Brenner advised the team to pull away from the Leonard trade before it’s too late.
“As of now, the Raptors are simply in limbo, waiting for this investigation to conclude, and there is no sign that it will be anytime soon,” Brenner wrote for Sports Illustrated. The latest update said that the investigation could go into 2027, which is not on the Raptors’ timeline. They are hoping this deal gets resolved between now and the start of training camp in late September. The Raptors are hoping Leonard can report to Quebec City, but he won’t be able to if the investigation does not end by then.”
The Leonard probe has been the hottest storyline of the offseason, and this summer has produced plenty of hits, from trades to free agent signings.
Whether Leonard returns to Toronto remains to be seen, but the Raptors cannot wait around without having a fallback option.
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