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Kawhi Leonard has officially returned to the Toronto Raptors.
After months of delays, the NBA approved a trade between the Raptors and the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday that sends Leonard back to Toronto where he won an NBA championship in 2019.
All-star forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a trade of a 2027 first-round pick and two second-round picks will be given to LA in return.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” said Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster. “His impact on our organization, our city and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we cherish.
“We are confident his leadership, experience and talent will help us build toward our next championship.”
The deal was halted while the NBA investigated Leonard and the Clippers for salary cap violations.
The league completed its investigation on September 2, fining Leonard US$700,000 but refusing to suspend him or cancel his contract.
The NBA is much more difficult for the Clippers.
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They were stripped of five first-round picks from 2029 to 2033 and the team was fined $30 million after an independent investigation found a pattern of violations and several significant rule violations. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker were suspended for one year, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months.
Leonard is expected to speak with reporters on Sept. 28 at Toronto’s media day.
Although the deals have not been officially submitted to the league while the investigation is ongoing, Leonard, Ingram and Dick are trying to participate with their new teams as much as NBA rules allow.
Leonard sat front row at Kyle Lowry’s press conference on July 7 at Toronto’s OVO Athletic Centre, where Lowry announced he would retire as a member of the Raptors. Ingram attended the Clippers’ summer league game in Las Vegas on July 10.
The 35-year-old Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game last season for the Clippers in 2025-26.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two-time NBA champion (with San Antonio in 2014 and Toronto in 2019) and is generally considered one of the best defensive players in the game. He joins a Raptors team that had the fifth-best defensive rating in the league last season.
Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his lone season in Toronto, but was injured 11 minutes into Game 5 of the Raptors’ first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He underwent right heel surgery on May 8.
Dick took a step back in his third NBA season, averaging 14 minutes per game in 2025-26, with averages of six points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists, all career lows.
“We would also like to thank Brandon and Gradey and appreciate the work ethic, character and basketball excellence they bring to our team every day,” Webster said.
Leonard was a central player in the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, but only spent one season with the club before joining his hometown Clippers as a free agent.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2026.
© 2026 Canadian Press
