Kawhi Leonard's Return to Canada
- Aarav Sharma
- 2 min read
Kawhi Leonard’s Return to Canada
| Team | Trade Grade |
|---|---|
| 🦖 Toronto Raptors | A- |
| ✂️ Los Angeles Clippers | B+ |
Full Trade Details
Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, an unprotected FRP in 2031, an unprotected FRP in 2033, a 2027 FRP swap, an SRP in 2030, and an SRP in 2033.
The Claw is escaping Los Angeles — finally — to head back to Toronto. And by escaping, of course, I’m referring to the Aspiration scandal that is currently being investigated, which has kept this trade from not “officially” happening. Yet, I really don’t care about that. I’m here to grade this trade. Let’s talk about the goods for both teams.
🦖 Toronto Raptors — Grade: A-
For the Raptors, this is amazing. They’ve got a roster that, before the trade, was good enough to be top six in the East, and now you just got a proven playoff monster in Kawhi Leonard — coming off his best offensive season. This pairing with Scottie Barnes makes a defensive masterclass. And all they gave up was a bench player and Brandon Ingram.
The risk is real, though. Kawhi Leonard hasn’t exactly been showing up to games consistently during his tenure with the Clippers, and his playoff record there was disappointing. He could either average 27/7/3/1/1 and be a bonafide superstar, or he could play forty games and average 22/3/3 before the injury bug bites again.
✂️ Los Angeles Clippers — Grade: B+
For the Clippers, this is the beginning of the rebuild. You’ve already got a nice guard in Darius Garland, and now you add a twenty-points-per-game scorer in Brandon Ingram plus future picks to continue building around. These young pieces could also be valuable trade chips for a major deal down the road.
The bad news? This signifies the official end of their era of hoarding former MVP candidates. They lost James Harden for Darius Garland, and now Kawhi Leonard for Brandon Ingram — who struggled mightily in the playoffs — and a couple of picks that don’t matter for four to seven years. It’s a sobering reset.
Final Verdict
Toronto gets the better team today. The Clippers get the better future.
Depending on how Kawhi ages and how often he actually takes the court, both franchises should be relatively happy with this deal. For Raptors fans? Welcome home, Claw. 🏆