2026-27 Fantasy Basketball: Kawhi Leonard Trade Breakdown

Three months later, the Kawhi Leonard trade is done. From a fantasy basketball perspective, this isn’t the place to break down the suspensions and legal side of things that led to the delay in the trade. Before we go any further, though, this trade is about more than Leonard and his impact on the Toronto Raptors. It’s about Brandon Ingram and the other pieces going back to the Los Angeles Clippers. In preparation for the 2026-27 fantasy basketball season, let’s explore the impact of the NBA’s latest blockbuster deal. If there was any doubt about Toronto’s commitment to Leonard, we don’t need to look any further than the two-year, $115 million contract extension he just signed.

Kawhi Leonard Trade Breakdown

Toronto Raptors – Kawhi Leonard

The Raptors acquired the best player in the trade. It cost them both now (Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick) and in the future in the form of multiple draft picks. If we are to believe the Fantrax ADP, Leonard still has a lot to offer the Raptors. He completes a starting lineup that includes Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. That’s a clear upgrade on Ingram, but trading Dick did hit the Raptors from a depth perspective. That should open up opportunities for Ja’Kobe Walter, Allen Graves, and Jamal Shead.

The good news, though, is that any usage decreases might not be as large as previously expected. If we look at per-36 averages, Ingram took 16.7 shots per game last season compared to 19.4 for Leonard. If anything, Leonard might make things easier for his teammates. He’ll now serve as the number one option for the defenses to key on, and that should allow for more freedom and less defensive scrutiny for others.

With 27.9 points per game last season, Leonard reached a career high in points. This season, the Raptors might not require the same level of scoring on a consistent basis, but he’s certainly capable of it. Leonard added 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, but more importantly, 1.9 steals and 2.6 three-pointers per game. We saw a lot of career highs, or close to it, from Leonard, with the biggest takeaway being his 65 games played. That was the fifth-highest of his career.

Toronto will want to keep Leonard fresh, and that should allow for more opportunities for his teammates. The issue here is that we are judged on cumulative stats. Replacement value decisions have to come into play. His third-round draft price isn’t low.

Los Angeles Clippers – Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick

From a team perspective, it’s a large downgrade for Ingram. The forward now goes to a Clippers team that’s very much rebuilding. From a fantasy perspective, for better or worse, that means Ingram is now “the man”. Defenses will key on him, but the quantity and usage will be there. Also, with Los Angeles likely playing from behind, the game flow and pace should also be helpful to Ingram.

Last season, Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. The main thing we are after here is the points. However, if the ball is in Ingram’s hands more, it’s possible he gets closer to five or six assists per game. From a percentage standpoint, Ingram shot 47.7% from the field and 82% from the free-throw line. That makes him a solid option, and he looks to eclipse his career high of 24.7 points per game.

After averaging 14.4 points per game two years ago, Dick regressed last season. He dropped down to just six points per game in 14 minutes of play while falling out of Toronto’s rotation at times. While he doesn’t immediately project to be a member of the Clippers’ rotation, there’s a clear path to that happening. If it does, it would be the 2.1 three-pointers per game Dick averaged two seasons ago that we’d be after. At this point, there’s not enough there for Dick to be a factor on draft day.