Rumors about the possibility of the Clippers and Raptors completing a Kawhi Leonard trade continued to percolate throughout the day on Monday, with ESPN’s Shams Charania stating on SportsCenter (Twitter video link) that the two teams seem motivated to make a deal. Charania suggested during that TV appearance that Leonard’s time with the Clippers may be nearing its end, while NBA insider Chris Haynes stated in a spot on NBA TV (Twitter video link) that he thinks it will be hard for L.A. to “put the toothpaste back in the tube” and bring Kawhi back for next season.

While it sounds like Leonard is interested in returning to a Raptors team willing to give him the sort of lucrative new extension that the Clippers haven’t put on the table, Haynes and Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints both say L.A. hasn’t been enamored by Toronto’s offer so far. According to Azarly, the Raptors are willing to put Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a first-round pick on the table, but the Clippers view that proposal as “one-sided,” sources tell ClutchPoints.

Still, the Raptors want to keep their most promising young talent, which means All-Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles is off limits, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Grange notes (via Twitter) that Toronto also wants to hang onto young wing Ja’Kobe Walter.

According to Azarly, if the Clippers do move Leonard, team owner Steve Ballmer would want to remain competitive and ideally would like to replace the two-time Finals MVP with another star. Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is at the top of that list, league sources tell ClutchPoints, but it’s unclear whether there’s a path for L.A. to acquire Brown while sending out Leonard.

For his part, Brown – whose name continues to come up frequently in trade rumors – has “grown frustrated” with the organization’s approach this offseason after he led the Celtics to a 56-win season without Jayson Tatum available for much of the year, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Still, one league source who spoke to Himmelsbach said Brown could end up remaining in Boston, even if it requires some “uncomfortable conversations.”

Those conversations may be necessary if the Celtics can’t find an offer they like for Brown. And that’s a very real possibility, ESPN’s Charania, Brian Windhorst, and Bobby Marks said on Monday’s episode of NBA Today (YouTube link).

As RealGM relays, Marks described Brown’s market as “lukewarm” and speculated that he’ll remain a Celtic, while Windhorst agreed that Brad Stevens and his front office “might not be able to get what they want for Jaylen.” Charania, who has reported that the Celtics have sought four first-round picks for Brown from some potential trade partners, added that he hasn’t been able to find a team willing to pay that sort of price.

We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Although the Hawks guaranteed Buddy Hield‘s salary for 2026/27 on Sunday, that doesn’t mean the veteran sharpshooter will still be on the roster by opening night. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) hears Atlanta is discussing a number of trade scenarios that could involve Hield.
Within his report on Kristaps Porzingis‘ new deal with Golden State, Anthony Slater of ESPN says there has been “no tangible movement” toward an Anthony Davis trade between the Warriors and Wizards.
Multiple teams have been willing to offer two first-round picks for Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but New Orleans’ front office is seeking at least three and no suitors have been willing to meet that price, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. Within the same story, O’Connor says one reason the Heat are shopping Nikola Jovic is to create the cap flexibility necessary to try to re-sign Norman Powell.
In a general look at the Nuggets‘ offseason, Sam Amick of The Athletic adds the Mavericks to the list of teams with interest in Denver forward Cameron Johnson. Johnson seems to be the Nuggets’ most likely trade candidate, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says Denver’s front office has been engaging in trade talks with multiple teams about the 30-year-old.