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The Toronto Raptors‘ trade for Kawhi Leonard finally went through after the Clippers were punished for their role in the Aspiration scandal. Leonard is now a full member of the Raptors. Leonard got off fairly lightly for his role, only having to pay restitution of $700,000.
After the Clippers finally accepted their punishment, the trade went through as planned. Now, Toronto has wasted no time signing Leonard to an extension, despite his misdeeds. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, he has now signed a two-year extension worth $115 million.
GettyLos Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard drives the ball. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kawhi Leonard Signs Two-Year Extension With the Raptors
Leonard also has a player option for the 2028-29 season, as well. That means that Leonard is now owed nearly $165 million on the guaranteed portion of his deal. Leonard famously left the Raptors after helping them win the title back in the 2018-19 season.
With this signing, the Raptors have now committed Leonard to being part of their future. It’s a gamble, as Leonard has had issues on and off the court. Aside from the Aspiration mess, he has had problems staying on the court for most of his career.
Leonard has only played more than 65 games in a season once since the 2016-17 campaign. That lack of availability could be an issue as Toronto makes a playoff push. However, he is coming off his best season, which saw him play 65 games and average a career-high in points.
Toronto is seen as one of the teams that could compete in the Eastern Conference for a spot in the NBA Finals. Leonard joins Scottie Barnes as the face of the franchise. This might be the final stop for Leonard in his NBA journey, as he is currently 35 years old.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Raptors are still relatively young. However, Leonard joins a roster that has struggled with injuries. Immanuel Quickley has played just 141 games combined since joining Toronto. Barnes has had some freak injuries, as well.
GettyLos Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard reacts during a game. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Toronto Is Going All In for a Championship
Trading for Leonard in the first place signaled that the Raptors believe they are talented enough to win a championship. Trading for him the first time netted the organization the first championship in franchise history. However, this is a much different team than that title-winning roster.
Last season, Toronto had just the 15th-best offense in the league. That was ultimately what cost them a chance to make a deep postseason run. With the Clippers last year, Leonard averaged 27.9 points on 50.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.
Being able to space the floor, as well as keeping the defensive standards high, is why Toronto traded for Leonard, despite the risks. With the scandal behind him, he shouldn’t have any distractions heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Signing this extension was the last bit of business that he needed to take care of.
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Ryan Stano Ryan Stano covers the NBA and College Football for Heavy.com. He has been covering sports since 2017, covering the NFL, College Football, College Basketball, and the NBA. His work has been featured on Yahoo, Bleacher Report, FanSided, and Sports Illustrated. More about Ryan Stano
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