LA Clippers hold serious trade talks with Toronto Raptors for Kawhi Leonard
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors are currently engaged in serious trade negotiations regarding a potential return to Canada for All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard.
These discussions follow the Californian franchise’s reluctance to offer the 34-year-old a long-term contract extension during the current offseason.
Representatives for the veteran forward have reportedly informed rival teams that he is only willing to sign an extension with Toronto if his current employers opt to move him on.
The former San Antonio Spurs standout currently has just the 2026-27 season remaining on his contract, which is valued at $50.3m.
A historic reunion on the cards
A successful agreement would mark a sensational return for the player who famously led the Canadian outfit to their solitary NBA Championship in 2019.
During that historic postseason run, the two-time Finals MVP averaged an outstanding 28.5 points in the decisive series victory over the Golden State Warriors.
He originally joined the Raptors in July 2018, before departing for Los Angeles as a free agent just one year later.
Despite turning 35 next week, the superstar is coming off a stellar individual campaign where he averaged 27.9 points across 65 regular-season appearances.
His impressive form earned him a seventh-place finish in the league’s MVP voting, although his team ultimately suffered a disappointing play-in tournament defeat to Golden State.
Franchise pivot and league investigations
Any departure would represent a significant change in direction for Los Angeles, particularly after president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank expressed a desire to retain their marquee star.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank stated during his end-of-season news conference in April.
“If our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
Complicating matters off the court, the NBA is currently investigating the Western Conference team over potential salary cap circumvention.
This ongoing probe surrounds an alleged funnelling of money to the American forward through a lucrative endorsement deal with green banking company Aspiration.
Both the player and his business adviser, Dennis Robertson, have already been interviewed by independent investigators regarding the matter.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the legal inquiry prior to the recent Finals, insisting that a conclusion must be reached promptly.
“My instruction to them is we can’t be investigating forever, but at some point, we have to wrap it up,” Silver explained on 3 June.
“But at the same time, the most important thing is that we get it right.”