Official extension in Toronto

Kawhi Leonard has re-signed with the Toronto Raptors on an extension that is already listed as effective in the NBA official player movement log, dated September 22. The move comes eight days after his return to Toronto from the LA Clippers became effective and closes the contractual chapter the Raptors opened as soon as they reacquired the star.

The NBA.com oficial movement feed describes the transaction as a Veteran Extension signed by Toronto with Leonard. RealGM reported hours later a two-year, $115 million deal with a player option for 2028-29.

Known terms of the agreement

According to RealGM, the extension will take effect starting in 2027-28, once Leonard completes the final year of his current contract. The agreement would leave the forward with three years and $165 million tied to Toronto, including the present season.

The same report places the new deal about $11 million below the maximum Leonard could have reached, in a context where he had already waived a trade kicker worth roughly $7.5 million to facilitate his move from Los Angeles.

Profile and roster fit

A return with contractual continuity

Kawhi Leonard, a 6-foot-6, 35-year-old forward, returns to the franchise with which he won the 2019 title. In his last full season with the Clippers he averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 games, numbers that secured his seventh All-Star selection and seventh All-NBA honor.

For Toronto, locking in Leonard beyond 2026-27 fits the push to contend in the East after the trade that brought the star back to Canada. RealGM also noted that Leonard expects to finish his career in Toronto, a signal that reinforces medium-term stability for the project.

Market context

The extension was the expected next step once the Raptors reacquired Leonard on September 14, after the NBA closed its salary-cap circumvention investigation into the Clippers. Over-38 rule restrictions limited the agreement to two additional years, a framework that fits the renewal now formalized.

With Leonard anchored through 2028-29 at most, Toronto secures its star while managing a rising payroll. The move does not open a new negotiation phase: it confirms in the league register an agreement that had been in the works since July, according to RealGM.