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The Los Angeles Clippers have officially moved on from Kawhi Leonard after seven seasons.
Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, June 30 for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a 2027 first-round swap.
The move puts an end to a real pursuit of an NBA title for the near future, as the Clippers opt for a younger roster while building assets.
Leonard originally came to Los Angeles in July 2019 along with Paul George, in what was a homecoming of sorts, with both being Southern California natives. The Oklahoma City Thunder had traded George and a first-round pick to L.A. for a haul that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps.
The duo did lead the Clippers to their first Western Conference finals appearance in 2021. Still, the pairing did not pan out, while the Thunder managed to construct a championship-winning roster following the trade, using one of those draft picks to select Jalen Williams.
Despite Leonard's departure, an investigation by the NBA still lingers.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and his uncle/advisor Dennis Robertson were allegedly involved in a “no-show” agreement with a company, Aspiration, to funnel extra compensation to the player as part of a salary cap circumvention.
Here’s where things stand for the Clippers, who are looking to reconstruct their roster this season:
The Clippers' starting lineup would consist of Darius Garland and rookie Keaton Wagler making up the backcourt.
Ingram would join forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Brook Lopez.
Ingram is no stranger to Los Angeles, having originally been drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was once viewed as the untouchable asset that the Lakers were going to build a future around.
While Lopez did have his team option picked up by the Clippers, the team declined the options for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum before the start of free agency.
The Clippers also fully guaranteed guard Kris Dunn’s $5.68 million contract for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Jordan Miller received a qualifying offer, and Kobe Sanders agreed to a new four-year, $11.2 million deal to return.
Bennedict Mathurin would serve as the Clippers’ sixth man after the team extended a qualifying offer to him earlier this week, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Mathurin averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 54 games last season.
The Clippers still have roster spots to fill. The team will have several options available, including re-signing forward John Collins. He tallied 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season in 69 games played.
Forward DeMar DeRozan could be considered a veteran target the team will reconsider. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 77 games played for the Sacramento Kings.
If center Mitchell Robinson doesn't return to the New York Knicks, he could be another interesting option for L.A. to consider. Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 60 games played.
The Toronto Raptors had to trade a couple key pieces to execute a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but they kept enough of their roster intact to be considered one of the top Eastern Conference contenders during the 2026-27 season.
Here's a breakdown of what the roster looks like with Leonard on the team heading into the start of the NBA's free agency period:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Clippers? What Kawhi Leonard trade means for roster
Continue reading...
Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, June 30 for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a 2027 first-round swap.
The move puts an end to a real pursuit of an NBA title for the near future, as the Clippers opt for a younger roster while building assets.
Leonard originally came to Los Angeles in July 2019 along with Paul George, in what was a homecoming of sorts, with both being Southern California natives. The Oklahoma City Thunder had traded George and a first-round pick to L.A. for a haul that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps.
The duo did lead the Clippers to their first Western Conference finals appearance in 2021. Still, the pairing did not pan out, while the Thunder managed to construct a championship-winning roster following the trade, using one of those draft picks to select Jalen Williams.
Despite Leonard's departure, an investigation by the NBA still lingers.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and his uncle/advisor Dennis Robertson were allegedly involved in a “no-show” agreement with a company, Aspiration, to funnel extra compensation to the player as part of a salary cap circumvention.
Here’s where things stand for the Clippers, who are looking to reconstruct their roster this season:
What does the Clippers’ starting lineup look like currently?
The Clippers' starting lineup would consist of Darius Garland and rookie Keaton Wagler making up the backcourt.
Ingram would join forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Brook Lopez.
Ingram is no stranger to Los Angeles, having originally been drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was once viewed as the untouchable asset that the Lakers were going to build a future around.
Clippers offseason moves
While Lopez did have his team option picked up by the Clippers, the team declined the options for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum before the start of free agency.
The Clippers also fully guaranteed guard Kris Dunn’s $5.68 million contract for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Jordan Miller received a qualifying offer, and Kobe Sanders agreed to a new four-year, $11.2 million deal to return.
Will Bennedict Mathurin return to Clippers?
Bennedict Mathurin would serve as the Clippers’ sixth man after the team extended a qualifying offer to him earlier this week, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Mathurin averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 54 games last season.
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Who will Clippers target next in free agency?
The Clippers still have roster spots to fill. The team will have several options available, including re-signing forward John Collins. He tallied 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season in 69 games played.
Forward DeMar DeRozan could be considered a veteran target the team will reconsider. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 77 games played for the Sacramento Kings.
If center Mitchell Robinson doesn't return to the New York Knicks, he could be another interesting option for L.A. to consider. Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 60 games played.
Raptors roster following Kawhi Leonard trade
The Toronto Raptors had to trade a couple key pieces to execute a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but they kept enough of their roster intact to be considered one of the top Eastern Conference contenders during the 2026-27 season.
Here's a breakdown of what the roster looks like with Leonard on the team heading into the start of the NBA's free agency period:
- G RJ Barrett
- G Jaden Bradley**
- G Immanuel Quickley
- G Jamal Shead
- G Garrett Temple*
- G Ja'Kobe Walter
- F Scottie Barnes
- F Kawhi Leonard
- F Allen Graves**
- F Collin Murray-Boyles
- F Jamison Battle
- F Sandro Mamukelashvili*
- F Jonathan Mogbo*
- F/C Trayce Jackson-Davis
- C Jakob Poeltl
- G Chucky Hepburn^
- G A.J. Lawson^
- G Alijah Martin^
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Clippers? What Kawhi Leonard trade means for roster
Continue reading...
