- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Toronto Raptors have reacquired Kawhi Leonard in a mid-September blockbuster, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round selections and a pick-swap to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard, 35, previously spent the 2018 season in Toronto after a summer trade from the San Antonio Spurs. He played only nine games in 2017-18 amid an injury dispute with San Antonio. In his lone Raptors campaign, Leonard averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals during the playoffs while leading the franchise to its first NBA championship and earning his second Finals MVP.
The reunion follows Leonard's departure in free agency for the Clippers, a move arranged by his uncle Dennis Robertson. The Clippers were later punished for salary-cap violations involving Robertson, who received a five-year suspension. Leonard was fined $700,000. The Justice Department continues investigating Leonard and the Clippers.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri once declared, "The narrative of not wanting to come to this city is gone." Leonard expressed fondness for Toronto in an Open Gym documentary. He has since signed a two-year, $115 million extension.
The Raptors, who have not won a playoff series since 2020 and endured three seasons of 30 wins or fewer, also feature rising star Scottie Barnes, 25.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).