New Kawhi Leonard Trade Rumors Reveal Former Team as Surprise Landing Spot After LaMelo to Wolves

The Toronto Raptors won their only championship in franchise history in large part because of Kawhi Leonard's brilliance, and the Eastern Conference team is reportedly interested in bringing him back should the Los Angeles Clippers make him available.

After ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Charlotte Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported the Raptors are interested in Leonard "regardless of LaMelo."

While Fischer added that Leonard prefers to remain with the Clippers and the team is "undeniably determined to keep" the playmaker, he added that the Raptors and San Antonio Spurs are the only teams Leonard would consider signing a long-term deal with should he be traded.

According to Fischer, Leonard would not be interested in signing such an extension with the Detroit Pistons or even the Miami Heat after the latter acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Leonard is entering the final season of his contract, so there could be some motivation to move him for a significant return before he potentially leaves in free agency.

However, his reported desire to remain in Los Angeles changes the equation for the Clippers. If he had no interest in remaining with the team beyond his current contract, then a trade would make far more sense.

Instead, the Clippers could look to build around him and pursue a title in an immediate win-now window.

Kawhi Leonard Top Play

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"I'm told that the Clippers, however, believe they still have avenues to fortify their roster around Leonard and keep themselves in Western Conference contention," Fischer wrote. "... Even amid the looming specter of a potentially damaging ruling from the league office once an NBA-commissioned investigation into allegations of salary cap circumvention is finally complete."

The NBA is investigating allegations the Clippers previously circumvented the NBA's salary cap rules with Leonard, and it remains to be seen whether the team will be punished in any significant way.

But there seems to be a determination to make sure he remains with the team, which isn't all that surprising given the season he just finished.

Leonard was an All-Star and All-NBA Second Team selection who finished seventh in the league in MVP voting in 2025-26 while averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game and shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from deep.

Notably, he finished ninth in MVP voting during his one season with the Raptors in 2018-19, although he became a franchise legend for his efforts in the playoffs that included the NBA Finals MVP from the win over the Golden State Warriors and the winning shot at the buzzer of Game 7 of the second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Toronto reached the playoffs last season but didn't have the overall star power to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game first-round series.

Bringing back Leonard would give it significant star power, though, and perhaps close the gap on some of the other contenders in the Eastern Conference.

For now, though, it seems like the Clippers want to keep him even as other NBA superstars have been traded in the early offseason.