Raptors Finalize Delayed Trade With Clippers for Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto after the Raptors' delayed trade with the Los Angeles Clippers was finalized.

The delay stemmed from the NBA's investigation into the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap by paying Leonard through undisclosed endorsements.

Can Leonard do it Again? 

Leonard is back with the Raptors, where he helped the team win its lone NBA championship in 2019. Last season with the Clippers, he averaged 27.9 ppg and 6.4 rpg while shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range and made the All-NBA Second Team.

While Leonard is still a top-10 player, he is no spring chicken at 34, and his health is always an issue. Over the last four seasons, injuries and load management kept him in only 67.7% of the Clippers' games. However, in the two seasons where he played at least 65 games, he made the second-team All-NBA. Still, while they're getting a great player, the Raptors are taking a gamble on his health.

What the Clippers Get for Kawhi Leonard 

While the Raptors are bringing back their star, they paid a hefty price. They sent the Clippers Brandon Ingram, who led the team in scoring last season (21.5 ppg), Grady Dick (6 ppg last season), two unprotected first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a pick swap.

Leonard Gets Off Pretty Easy

In the investigation into Leonard and the Clippers, the star got off pretty easy with a $700,000 fine. While a $700K fine is a lot of loot, Leonard is in the last year of a three-year contract that will pay him over $50 million this season.

Though Leonard got off relatively easily, the same cannot be said for the Clippers. The NBA came down hard on the “other” team from L.A. They were fined a whopping $30 million, team owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension, and, perhaps the biggest sting, they had to forfeit five first-round draft picks.

Raptors' Season Outlook with Leonard 

Leonard joins a Raptors team with a solid young core in RJ Barrett, Scotty Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley, who all averaged over 16 ppg last season. With Leonard, Toronto now has four frontcourt players that averaged in double figures last season. However, the team needs more backcourt scoring, as Quickley was the only guard who averaged over 7.5 ppg last season.

Last season, the Raptors finished fifth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.