Preparing for the Possibility That Kawhi Leonard Stays
On June 30, 2026, it was reported by Shams Charania that Kawhi Leonard is being traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, a 2027 first-round pick swap, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, as well as second-round picks in 2030 and 2033. Just a week later, Shams reported that the deal has not yet been made official, pending investigation.
There is now a possibility that the investigation will not be completed by training camp nor for the rest of 2026. If the deal extends too long and the ultimate outcome is a suspension for Kawhi Leonard, it is very much possible the Raptors back out from the initially agreed upon deal. They may even back out of the deal to move Ingram and Dick before it is too late as both players are set to be free agents next summer.
Kawhi Leonard returning to the Clippers may not be a bad thing for this coming season. The Clippers spent the summer forming the best shooting team in the NBA with the acquisitions of the best shooter in college, Keaton Wagler, and one of the best shooters in the NBA last season, Rui Hachimura. With the team’s current priorities consisting of acquiring Peyton Watson as well as retaining Bennedict Mathurin, this roster is perfectly suited around Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi would be surrounded by a variety of shooters and lengthy defenders. It would also make life easier on Darius Garland to have another all-star on the team with him to relieve defensive attention off of him and allowing him to take that next step into stardom.
If Kawhi does end up suspended and the Clippers are forced to retain him, this could end up being a blessing in disguise for the Clippers as well. This would give enough time for the younger guys to develop such as Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin, Keaton Wagler, Kobe Sanders, Darius Garland, and Jordan Miller. Allowing these younger players to take Kawhi’s minutes early on and getting the proper reps in would be very beneficial in the development of all these players.
Although the Kawhi Leonard saga in LA has not amounted to the team winning the ultimate goal and moving on seems overdue, a worst case scenario of the Clippers being forced to retain an all-NBA forward and top ten player in the league in Kawhi Leonard is definitely not a bad problem to have.