The Raptors are reportedly in trade talks with the LA Clippers that would bring Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto—for more than one season this time. Leonard only has one year left on his contract, but would reportedly sign an extension with the Raptors—and no one else, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania—if he is traded there.
"The Clippers and the Raptors are seriously engaged in trade talks surrounding Kawhi Leonard."@ShamsCharania details Kawhi potentially returning to Toronto 🍿 pic.twitter.com/J8zNMbCD8f
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 29, 2026
Toronto’s preferred trade package for the 35-year-old, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, features Gradey Dick and Brandon Ingram instead of RJ Barrett, whose expiring contract makes him an ideal trade candidate, alongside some draft assets.
“Part of why Toronto has been determined to hold Barrett out of these talks, sources say, is the clear overlap in Ingram’s and Leonard’s playing styles,” Fischer and Stein reported.
The Raptors’ preference to keep Barrett instead of Ingram also brings something else to mind: the playoffs. Barrett stepped up as the Raptors’ leading scorer, while Ingram struggled and missed the last two games with a heel injury. Since he was playing through an injury, Ingram deserves some grace. At the same time, however, it wasn't the first time he had disappeared in a playoff series. In 2024, he averaged 14.3 points on 34.5% shooting from the field and 25% from deep over four playoff games after putting up 20.8 points per game in the regular season.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the June 29 episode of The Hoop Collective about Ingram, “I think he’s a good regular-season player and will continue to be a good regular-season player. I’m not sure they should be counting on him in the postseason.”
The Raptors may have the same doubts about Ingram’s ability to help them win in the playoffs—and they have to win in the postseason if they bring in Leonard. He is 35 now and, even though he put together a phenomenal 2025-26 season, he doesn’t have more than a few years left as the number-one option on a team that’s looking to make some serious noise in the playoffs.
Ingram could find success in LA
The Raptors’ desire to include Ingram in a trade package for Kawhi Leonard isn’t a one-sided attempt to move on from a player who disappointed in the playoffs and is on a big contract. The Clippers reportedly seem interested in Ingram.
“It’s believed that the Clippers, furthermore, would have interest in Toronto’s offer because adding Ingram—who earned All-Star status last season—should be able to help keep LA sufficiently competitive in the West as it gradually shifts into a youth movement that features the likes of recently acquired Darius Garland and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler,” The Stein Line reported.
Being traded again after playing just one season with the Raptors isn’t ideal, but going to the Clippers would allow Ingram to play for a competitive team—maybe not as competitive as a Raptors team led by Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard but solid—and continue being a top scoring option.
Ingram is a productive player when healthy, and the Raptors wouldn’t have made the playoffs without him. He may not be the best long-term fit in Toronto, but he’s still a good player.
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