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Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome on December 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California.
Future Basketball Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard may be trending towards a reunion with the Toronto Raptors if change is on the horizon. The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly received multiple trade offers for Leonard, but they decided to keep him as their established face of the future over the past several years. James Harden, Paul George, and Norman Powell all leaving the Clippers in recent memory shows the team is willing to part ways with strong talent.
Clutch Point’s Brett Siegel reported that he sees the Raptors as a realistic option if the Clippers start listening to Kawhi trade offers:
“The Toronto Raptors traded for Leonard (in 2018) without knowing what the future held for him in free agency. That move led Toronto to their first NBA championship. Something similar could happen with Leonard this upcoming offseason. Maybe, just maybe, a return to the Raptors to compete for another championship is a scenario we could see play out.”
Siegel references that Toronto traded for Leonard with just one year left on his deal in the past and had the dream payoff of their first NBA Championship. The Raptors could take the same gamble again since their fans love Leonard and only received one season before he left for Los Angeles.
Why Raptors Would Want Kawhi Leonard?
Toronto has received praise for taking chances on trades in recent years that led to success this season. The trio of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett are making them a playoff team and see hopes growing for a brighter future with one more move.
Barrett has been deemed the expendable piece in previous trade rumors and could provide temptation for the Clippers to get younger. The Raptors have a strong core, but no one is currently buying them as a serious threat to challenge for a title.
This season sees them playing with house money since a playoff appearance will be considered success. Next season is the one where they will be expected to take a big step forward. Confirmed rumors about Toronto already looking at the trade market before this year’s deadline will see them quite active in the summer.
Will Clippers Give Up On Kawhi?
The Clippers have remained loyal to Leonard, despite their 2019 signing creating expectations for an NBA Championship coming to the franchise. Trading away Ivica Zubac at the deadline was even more surprising than Harden to end the current timeline of hoping to win now.
More talent is needed in the offseason, or they will have another lackluster season with Leonard and minimal talent around him. The wisest move would be to trade Kawhi after his value has jumped this season with some of the best basketball of his career being played right now.
Toronto and other teams offering younger assets may be their only way to rebuild. Leonard entering the final year of his contract also complicates his status with the team. The Clippers could lose Kawhi for nothing in the following offseason if they keep their superstar and he decides to challenge for a title on another team.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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