Raptors' Pursuit of Kawhi Leonard Intensifies Ahead of Free Agency

The NBA is officially in offseason mode. For the Los Angeles Clippers, the biggest domino to fall is Kawhi Leonard. The superstar forward is entering the final season of his contract, and he has yet to agree to a new deal with the Clippers. This has signaled his potential availability to the rest of the league on the trade market. The expectation is that if the Clippers aren't willing to give him the lucrative, multi-year extension he is looking for, a trade is inevitable.

In conjunction with this expectation, NBA insider Jake Fischer first reported on Thursday that Leonard's former teams, the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs, were emerging as potential suitors. Leonard was reportedly open to signing an extension with both of these teams, putting them in pole position to trade for the two-time Finals MVP.

According to Sunday's reporting by Fischer, the Raptors have taken their interest to another level. He said that the Raptors and the Clippers have held "real trade conversations this weekend" to send Leonard back to Toronto. He added that the Raptors want to include Brandon Ingram in the deal rather than RJ Barrett.

Raptors Are Serious Kawhi Leonard Suitors

It's not surprising that Toronto would rather trade Ingram than Barrett to acquire Leonard. Barrett is younger, cheaper, better defensively, and is entering the final year of his deal. Ingram, on the other hand, will make $40 million next season, has a player option for $41.9 million for the year after, and is a very poor fit with Leonard due to his midrange-heavy, ball-stopping style.

So far, the Clippers have been adamant about their willingness to hold onto Leonard ahead of next season. Most of the reporting out of LA confirmed that the Clippers had little interest in parting ways with their franchise superstar. Perhaps for the first time all offseason, we have confirmation of interest from another team and a clear understanding of what their trade package would look like.

Of course, the Raptors have to trade one of Barrett, Ingram, or Immanuel Quickley for Leonard for salary-matching purposes. Regardless of who the main return is, the deciding factor for the Clippers will be draft equity. Toronto can trade up to four future first-round picks. They could also include swap rights for the in-between years.

Another deciding factor in the deal will be Collin Murray-Boyles. The 21-year-old versatile big man is the second-most valuable player on the Raptors after Scottie Barnes. The Clippers may want him as a part of the return. Toronto may have to choose between its entire future draft picks or Murray-Boyles during the trade negotiations.

The fact that the Clippers aren't shutting down these trade conversations is telling. This specific Raptors interest may not lead anywhere, but if LA is seriously considering trading Leonard, more teams will emerge as potential suitors. This leaves open the possibility of the Clippers getting a trade offer they can't refuse, increasing the chances of Leonard heading elsewhere over the next couple of weeks.

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