The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have finalized a trade that returns Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram and additional assets, concluding a process delayed since late June. The agreement includes the Raptors sending shooting guard Graedey Dick, unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033 to the Clippers.

The trade was initially expected to close in early July but was paused amid an NBA investigation into the Clippers’ alleged salary-cap circumvention. The league announced on September 2 that it had found the Clippers in violation of salary-cap rules as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. Kawhi Leonard was implicated through the actions of his uncle and business manager, Dennis Robertson, who was found to have breached the league’s circumvention rules. While Leonard avoided suspension, he was fined $700,000.

The Clippers faced significant penalties, including a $30 million fine and the forfeiture of five future first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033. Key figures in the Clippers’ organization were suspended: chairman Steve Ballmer and business president Gillian Zucker received one-year suspensions, and basketball president Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months, covering the remainder of the current season up to the 2027 trade deadline. Additionally, Robertson received a five-year ban from conducting any basketball-related business with NBA teams or personnel. The suspensions and organizational turmoil contributed to the delay in completing the trade as the Clippers restructured their front office.

Ballmer publicly accepted the penalties on social media Sunday evening, signaling the team’s commitment to moving forward.

Leonard, who is under contract through the 2026-27 season after signing a three-year, $149 million extension in January 2024, is expected to sign another extension with the Raptors. This trade reunites him with the team he helped lead to an NBA championship in 2019. Leonard, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Star, posted career-high offensive numbers during the 2025-26 season, averaging 27.9 points per game with improved shooting efficiency and defensive stats.

Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster expressed enthusiasm about Leonard’s return, highlighting his leadership and championship mindset as key assets for the team’s future goals. Webster also thanked Ingram and Dick for their contributions to the Raptors.

Ingram, a 28-year-old two-time All-Star, was acquired by Toronto in February 2025 and averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the most recent season. Dick, selected 13th overall in the 2023 draft, has played in 190 games for Toronto but saw reduced playing time last season.

Leonard’s departure marks the end of a seven-year tenure with the Clippers, during which the franchise experienced regular-season success but was hampered by injuries and limited playoff achievements. The Clippers’ major trade to pair Leonard with Paul George—a move that sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and other assets to Oklahoma City—was intended to create a championship-caliber team but yielded only one Western Conference Finals appearance, in 2021, when Leonard was sidelined with a serious knee injury.

Moving forward, the Clippers will build their roster around Ingram, point guard Darius Garland, and rookie Keaton Wagler. With the suspension of several executive leaders, interim front office duties will be handled by General Manager Trent Redden and Senior Vice President Mark Hughes. The Clippers’ upcoming drafts heavily involve picks acquired from Toronto, as several of their own future first-round picks were forfeited or swapped.

Meanwhile, the Raptors had a quiet off-season, signing power forward Kyle Anderson—who played with Leonard in Toronto—and drafting Santa Clara forward Allen Graves in the first round. Leonard’s return bolsters Toronto’s standing in the competitive Eastern Conference.

The Clippers and Raptors are scheduled to meet multiple times in the coming season, including a preseason game in Vancouver on October 10, a regular-season game at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome on November 2, and a New Year’s Day matchup in Toronto. These meetings will be among the first opportunities to see Leonard face his former team since completing the trade.