Kawhi Leonard inks two-year contract with Toronto
By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a two-year, USD 115 million contract (PHP 7,196,182,500), as announced on Sept. 23, 2026.
Following a long NBA investigation after Leonard became entangled in a salary cap circumvention scheme involving the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer, the 14-year veteran has now been cleared of all accusations and is ready to run it back with the Raptors.
On July 1, 2026, Leonard once again shocked the NBA world by returning to the Raptors, ending his controversial stint with the Clippers.
The Clippers traded the two-time NBA champion in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and five draft picks.
The Raptors had to give up their first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and a 2027 first-round pick swap to finalize the deal.
For seven seasons, the Clippers failed to reach the NBA Finals and made the Western Conference finals only once, in 2021.
Leonard is set for a homecoming in Toronto, where he led the Raptors to the 2018-19 NBA championship, the franchise’s lone Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The seven-time All-Star’s one-year campaign with the Raptors was widely recognized as one of the most iconic runs in league history, helping Toronto win its first championship 24 years after joining the NBA as an expansion team in 1995.
Leonard’s arduous 2019 path to the title wasn’t a fluke, as the Raptors defeated the battle-tested Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals.
Despite entering the NBA Finals as an underdog against the star-studded Golden State Warriors, Leonard helped the Raptors take down the Western Conference kings in six games, averaging 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.0 steals en route to the Finals MVP award.
Now healthy, Leonard is expected to lead a Toronto squad composed of young guns and veterans while forming a dangerous trio with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.
Can Leonard weave his 2019 magic and lead Toronto to another electric NBA campaign?
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