Highlighting When Raptors and Clippers Face Off in 2026-27 Season Schedule

The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers will forever be intertwined after their proposed trade for Kawhi Leonard during the offseason.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard controls the ball against Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Toronto Raptors fans will want to have November 2 and January 1 marked in their calendar for the upcoming season.

Those are the two dates in which the Raptors will face off against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2026-27 campaign. This comes after the two teams agreed to a deal that has yet to be finalized with Kawhi Leonard going to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple first-round picks.

The trade is being held up due to the league's investigation regarding alleged salary cap circumvention, but conflicting reports have come out about the timeline of when the deal could be finalized. No matter how it all shakes out, these are two games that fans will want to keep an eye on.

Date	Location	Back-to-Back?
Nov. 2	Los Angeles	Yes, for both
Jan. 1	Toronto	Yes, for LAC

If the Trade Happens...

LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics center Luka Garza. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first game of the series in early November will have Leonard visiting the Clippers for the first time since being traded. Leonard spent seven seasons with the Clippers and helped them reach their first Western Conference Finals in franchise history in 2021, where they ultimately lost to the Phoenix Suns.

Should Leonard play for the Raptors for this game, he will likely be met with a litany of boos from the Clippers crowd. The stain that he has left on the Clippers on his way out could leave a bad taste in fans' mouths.

There is also the possibility that Leonard could be suspended for his role in the alleged salary-cap circumvention. There is a good chance Leonard will be serving his potential suspension during this game, as it is only the seventh game of the year for the Raptors. This could be a massive fumble for the NBA if their goal was to increase ratings for the matchup.

The game is also on the second night of a back-to-back, which Leonard has infamously dodged throughout his career. Leonard's load management is part of his regimen in the NBA, as he has only played more than 65 games in a season once since the 2017-2018 campaign, when he only played nine games for the San Antonio Spurs due to injury.

If the Trade Doesn't Happen...

Things could be pretty awkward for the Raptors and Clippers if no deal were to take place. Leonard would be playing on the Clippers, who are also expected to be on the second night of a back-to-back going into the matchup. There's a chance that he could miss the game, or he could miss the previous game against the Golden State Warriors in order to make this game work out.

The Raptors will have to try to rebuild some of the chemistry they may have lost by including Ingram and Dick in the trade. Ingram was an All-Star for the Raptors last season, so he would still be a valuable part of Toronto's nucleus should the deal not go through. That would arguably be the Raptors' toughest task throughout the season as they look to improve their positioning in a crowded Eastern Conference.

Sign up for our free newsletter, which will bring all Toronto Raptors On SI stories every weekday to your email.