Why the Raptors won't extort Clippers to trade less for Kawhi Leonard

Some have wondered if Toronto can alter the terms of their trade agreement for the superstar forward

In the wake of Wednesday’s stunning NBA anvil drop on the Los Angeles Clippers, some have wondered if the Toronto Raptors can alter the terms of their trade agreement for Kawhi Leonard.

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The Clippers have been punished severely for salary cap circumvention, including losing a bundle of first-round draft picks, and it’s hard to imagine their fans would welcome Leonard back. Plus the two-time NBA Finals MVP has said he’s looking forward to a fresh start in Toronto. Other than making a Leonard deal with a new team, L.A. seems set on finalizing its long-agreed-to trade with Toronto. But, some wonder, couldn’t the Raptors put the Clippers over a barrel and now offer less knowing Leonard going anywhere else is simply not viable?

Plus, didn’t the Clippers do the Raptors dirty way back in 2018-19, both before and after Leonard delivered a title. Team staffers and owner Steve Ballmer often sat front and centre at Raptors games that season, all but stalking the superstar and making it clear they were interested in bringing him home, which eventually happened. Though the NBA’s investigation didn’t find wrongdoing then (the more recent investigation surrounded Leonard’s subsequent extension with the team), Raptors executives and ownership believed they had been victimized by the Clippers and complained unsuccessfully to the league.

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But you can throw all of that history out the window. The Raptors long ago moved on and agreed to a deal with the Clippers nearly two months ago to send all-star Brandon Ingram, 2023 No. 13 overall pick Gradey Dick and first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus second-round selections in 2030 and 2033 to the Clippers for Leonard, who will sign an extension with the team in short order.

Raptors general manager Bobby Webster surely won’t burn bridges by reopening an agreed-to deal. That would not endear Webster or the Raptors to the NBA’s other executives moving forward. Everyone wants to get this done as quickly as possible with training camp only weeks away.

Toronto also agreed to a first-round pick swap next summer should Toronto have a better pick than the Clippers. That scenario is extremely unlikely as the Clippers project to be one of the league’s weaker sides in 2026-27, while the Raptors with Leonard have a chance to win multiple playoff rounds if everyone stays healthy, but anything can happen. A complication is the fact the Clippers already owe a swap option to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will end up with the best pick from either L.A., Toronto or Denver. Got that? So if the Clippers win the lottery, the Thunder pick, say 27th, the Nuggets 23rd and Toronto 21st, the Thunder would get the top pick and Denver’s, the Clippers would get Toronto’s pick, Toronto would get OKC’s pick.

It’s also notable that longtime NBA analyst Zach Lowe, of The Ringer, said Thursday that the Clippers weren’t just docked five of their own first-round picks, but also a 2029 first from the Indiana Pacers acquired last February in the Ivica Zubac deal. It’s unclear what the reasoning would be for the team also losing that selection, which had nothing to do with any Leonard scenario.

If you’re scoring at home, here’s what the full-court press for Leonard has cost the Clippers:

— Five first-round picks (one of them became all-star Jalen Williams) to the Thunder, along with players headlined by two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Canadian superstar. Leonard insisted on playing with Paul George, which allowed the Thunder to make one of the most one-sided deals in NBA history.

OKC has won an NBA title and six playoff series in that time; the Clippers won only three series.

— Five first-round picks forfeited to the NBA (2029 to 2033).

— A $30-million US fine and multiple suspensions, including one to Ballmer.

The team’s first-round pick situation would be as follows:

2027 draft: Second best of their own, Toronto’s, Denver’s or Oklahoma City’s.

2034 draft: Finally have their own first-round pick again

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