Now that the Toronto Raptors know that Kawhi Leonard won’t be suspended and his contract won’t be voided, nothing is stopping them from sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft capital to the Clippers for the 35-year-old. Shams Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show that the two teams already spoke about finalizing the trade.
If the trade is finalized, it will be the third time in his career and the second time in a little over a year that Ingram will be involved in a trade. First, the Lakers traded him to the Pelicans in 2019. New Orleans then sent him to the Raptors in February 2025.
LA may not even be Ingram’s final destination, however. The NBA stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033. So, they will likely be looking to recoup some of those picks through trades.
Despite his disappointing playoff run last season, Ingram was an All-Star, played the most games in a season since his rookie year, and proved that he can help a competitive team win a ton of games in the regular season. He is someone The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie expects the Clippers could flip “pretty easily to get draft capital back.”
So, after roughly two months of uncertainty, Ingram’s future is still somewhat up in the air. Yes, he will most likely start the season with the Clippers, but how long will his tenure with his new team last?
Ingram, at least, will have a big role wherever he plays. The same cannot be said for Gradey Dick, who is also still facing an uncertain future despite the Leonard news.
Gradey Dick’s future is also up in the air
Landing with the Clippers was supposed to be a fresh start for Gradey Dick, a chance to rejuvenate his career. However, by now, the Clippers have a bunch of guards/wings on their roster after drafting Keaton Wagler and acquiring Maz Strus in the trade that sent Peyton Watson to Cleveland.
Dick could either fall victim to inevitable roster cuts—if the trade with the Raptors is finalized, the Clippers will have 17 players on their roster—or find himself at the end of the bench and struggling to get minutes once again.
However, in the latter case, he could still earn a bigger role eventually if the Clippers decide to move Darius Garland or Max Strus, for example, to get back draft capital throughout the season. Much like Ingram, both could help teams looking to boost their playoff chances in the winter with a trade deadline acquisition, and the Clippers need the picks.
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