The Toronto Raptors have a single NBA championship in their history, thanks to a terrific 2019 postseason run led by two-way superstar forward Kawhi Leonard.
He left for the Los Angeles Clippers later that summer, but NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer report that the Raptors are in trade discussions with the Clippers regarding a reunion with Leonard.
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According to Fischer, the Raptors prefer to include Brandon Ingram in a trade with Los Angeles while keeping RJ Barrett.
While Leonard reportedly prefers to stay with the Clippers, the Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs are two teams that Leonard would be willing to sign an extension with.
The Raptors finished the season with a 46-36 record before falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game first-round series.
Giving up Ingram while keeping Barrett would be ideal for Toronto, given that Ingram and Leonard would be competing against each other for minutes.
Ingram’s injury history has also seemed to push the Raptors towards trading him. He suffered a foot injury near the end of the regular season and limped to just 12 points per game during the Raptors’ first-round loss.
In 65 games for L.A. this season, Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
While Leonard had a strong season, the Clippers finished with a 42-40 record and missed the postseason after losing to the Golden State Warriors in their play-in battle.
The Raptors don’t appear to be the only team interested in trading for Leonard, as The Athletic reported later on Friday that the Dallas Mavericks are also in trade discussions with the Clippers.
Mavericks president Masai Ujiri, who served as the Raptors’ president and acquired Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs in 2018, is ready for a reunion.
With little draft capital to incorporate into a deal, the Mavericks would need to sweeten a package with a number of pieces like P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson and Caleb Martin.
If one thing is clear, it’s that the Clippers appear willing to at least listen to offers coming in from other teams.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
