Hours before the 2026 NBA free agency officially opened up, we saw the Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors agree on a blockbuster trade that sent Raptors franchise icon Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto for a package that included Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 pick swap, and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033.
While I like this trade on both sides, it was reported by Shams Charania that the Minnesota Timberwolves were another team that tried to acquire Leonard, but his camp shut it down. No shade to Kawhi, but to me, the Wolves dodged a bullet here.
Trading for Kawhi Leonard would have been too big a risk for the Timberwolves
Before the offseason started, it was fairly widely known that the Wolves were going to acquire a star that had a fair level of risk attached to them. They ultimately landed on LaMelo Ball, which I think was an absolute home run trade. But even after they traded for Ball, they reportedly tried their luck at acquiring Leonard.
Now, the idea of Leonard, especially the version he was last year, would have been awesome. But the downside is that he is 35 years old with only one year left on his contract.
Even though playing with Anthony Edwards and one of his protégés in Jaden McDaniels, might have been appealing. However, I didn't see any world where he signed an extension in Minnesota for the tail end of his career, and Shams' reporting backs this up. Thus, trading for Kawhi would have been an unwise gamble for Minnesota.
The Raptors could afford to take that risk, since Leonard stated that he would sign an extension with them before the trade. They also had a lot more draft capital to offer, whereas the Wolves would have needed to gut their entire supply. It would have certainly involved Rudy Gobert, which would then leave the Wolves with nearly zero bigs.
Ultimately, trading for a one-year rental of Leonard wasn't worth the squeeze on the Wolves' front.
Between the injury concerns, age, and contract status, there were just too many risks to take into account. It's probably a blessing in disguise that Leonard's camp shut down any potential for that trade, because it would have cost a lot of assets that the Wolves simply wouldn't have unless they gutted their team.
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