Adam Silver and the NBA didn't just punish the Los Angeles Clippers for engaging in salary cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard. They decided to nuke the team back to the Stone Age, stripping the team of five first-round picks, levying a $30 million fine and suspending both owner Steve Ballmer and president Lawrence Frank. It's a devastating and almost unprecedented move, one that will set the Clips back years.
But one team's day of mourning is another's liberation. Because while L.A. just got kneecapped, the Toronto Raptors got set free — free to finally acquire Leonard, as a deal that was first agreed upon months ago can officially go through now that the star wing managed to dodge any sort of suspension. (Or, really, any punishment at all beyond a $700,000 fine.)
Leonard getting off almost scot-free is a puzzling move on the league's part, but it's great news for Toronto, which can now move forward looking a whole lot like a legitimate contender in the revamped Eastern Conference.
What the Raptors are giving up in the Kawhi Leonard trade
Given that the Leonard deal first broke more than two months ago, perhaps you're in need of a quick refresher. The Raptors agreed to acquire the two-time Finals MVP in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, a first-round pick swap in 2027, first-round picks in both 2031 and 2033 and a pair of second-round picks as well.
That's a pretty sizable haul for a player who just turned 35 and has a long history of being unavailable come playoff time. Really, though, this just boils down to the two firsts in '31 and '33 — the swap in 2027 will almost certainly not be relevant given how bad the Clips figure to be, while Ingram never impacted winning as much as his raw numbers would suggest (and certainly wasn't worth his massive salary). Plus, looking at the Raptors' new lineup, though, it becomes clear why Toronto felt this move was worth the risk.
Projected Toronto Raptors lineup and depth chart with Kawhi Leonard deal officially through
Starters | Position | Bench |
|---|---|---|
Immanuel Quickley | PG | Jamal Shead |
RJ Barrett | SG | Ja'Kobe Walter |
Kawhi Leonard | SF | Jamison Battle |
Scottie Barnes | PF | Allen Graves |
Collin Murray-Boyles | C | Jakob Poeltl |
Leonard will slot right next to Scottie Barnes and second-year big Collin Murray-Boyles to form a dynamic frontcourt that could be almost impossible to score against. Spacing and ball-handling remains a question, especially if Quickley struggles to stay on the court as much as he did last season. But Leonard is an isolation offense unto himself, and Toronto's defense figures to establish an awfully high floor. Plus, the hope is that ascending guards like Shead and Walter can continue to grow and help ease the scoring burden a bit.
It remains to be seen how this will all come together — particularly on the offensive end, and particularly against the Knicks, 76ers and the rest of the best teams in the East. Can Leonard and Quickley make it to May? Does Barnes have another leap in him? What can Graves offer as a rookie? But there's real potential here, and their ability to guard will keep them in just about every game (and playoff series) as long as that starting five is healthy.
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