Kawhi Leonard set to return to Toronto after Raptors strike deal with Clippers, Associated Press reports

Kawhi Leonard is headed back to the Toronto Raptors after Toronto reached a trade deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, an Associated Press source told Yahoo Sports Tuesday. The report frames the move as a reunion with Leonard, who was the centerpiece of Toronto’s run to the 2019 NBA championship.

The structure of the deal, as described by the AP source, sends multiple players and draft assets from Toronto to Los Angeles. The Raptors would trade Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a pick swap to the Clippers for Leonard.

For Toronto, the trade is the kind of roster pivot that reshapes a franchise’s on-court identity quickly. Leonard’s history with the Raptors matters here beyond branding, because he remains the most proven postseason closer in their recent era, the player most associated with their championship window in 2019.

Leonard’s return also changes the Raptors’ forward rotation calculus, even if exact on-court usage depends on how the rest of the roster is assembled. In Toronto’s case, trading away Ingram and Dick suggests the Raptors are prioritizing immediate veteran impact and playoff-level execution over a longer developmental runway for multiple young pieces.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, would be receiving a package built around two wings plus draft flexibility. Ingram has been an established offensive option throughout his tenure, while Dick is a younger perimeter piece, and the added first- and second-round selections, plus a pick swap, gives the Clippers multiple ways to reset or strengthen through future roster building.

The AP source also indicates the trade has not yet received required league approval. That means the agreement should be treated as essentially in place, but not yet final in the strict NBA transaction sense until the league reviews and clears it.

What to watch next is the league process for official confirmation, followed by how Toronto reconfigures its depth chart around Leonard’s role and how the Clippers plan to deploy the players they acquire. If the deal clears, it will likely stand as one of the most consequential mid-market moves of the offseason, both for Toronto’s playoff picture and for Los Angeles’ draft-and-development direction.