Winners and Losers of Potential Raptors Blockbuster Trade

The Toronto Raptors have been heavily linked to two of the biggest stars in the NBA. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Raptors have held trade discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers about bringing Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto.

Fischer reported that Toronto would prefer to center a deal around Brandon Ingram, while the Clippers have shown greater interest in RJ Barrett and other assets. Leonard is also reportedly willing to sign a long-term extension only with Toronto or the San Antonio Spurs.

Separately, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Saturday that Toronto is eyeing a potential trade for Jaylen Brown, with six other teams expressing interest in the Boston Celtics star. 

Landing players like Leonard or Brown comes with its benefits and costs, and here are the Raptors players who could be impacted the most should any of these trades materialize.

This is the clearest winner on the roster. Leonard returning to Toronto gives Scottie Barnes a co-star whose halfcourt shot creation directly addresses the offensive stagnation that plagued the Raptors last year.

Barnes spent last season carrying the load and Leonard, a career 49.9% field goal shooter who averages 21.5 points in his playoff career, gives Barnes a true partner rather than a supporting cast member. The defensive pairing alone would be one of the most disruptive in the Eastern Conference.

Collin Murray-Boyles wins in any scenario where Toronto adds a star. His game doesn’t require the ball, doesn’t demand usage, and operates most effectively in lineups where the primary offensive burden falls elsewhere. 

If the Raptors acquire Brown, Murray-Boyles would complement his isolation scoring the same way he complemented Barnes his rookie season. The second-year forward will only get better as the talent around him improves.

Brandon Ingram is reportedly Toronto’s preferred centerpiece in a Leonard trade. After arriving as a major midseason addition, Ingram was sidelined due to injury and made his debut in 2025-26. Ingram averaged 21.2 points per game in his first season with the Raptors, and was the team’s leading scorer. 

Ingram is under contract through the 2027-28 season and is set to earn $40 million next season, per Spotrac. That’s not the kind of money the Raptors will be able to afford if they decide Leonard or Brown is worth acquiring.

The Clippers are reportedly more interested in RJ Barrett than Ingram as the centrepiece of a Leonard deal.  Barrett is in the final year of his contract at $29.6 million and will be an unrestricted free agent after 2026-2027.

This means if he goes to Los Angeles as part of a Leonard trade, he is essentially being dealt into a rebuilding situation in the final year of his deal with no guarantee of what comes next. Barrett will lose his established role on the Raptors and could see his market value diminish entering free agency.

In any trade structure designed to absorb Leonard’s $50-plus million salary, Jakob Poeltl’s $20 million contract becomes a salary-matching piece, which means he likely gets moved as part of the financial architecture even if he is not the primary target.

Poeltl has already been a polarizing figure on the team due to his performance last season, and may have already played his final season in Toronto.  

If Toronto pursues Brown simultaneously or sequentially, Immanuel Quickley’s $32.5 million contract is the most logical outgoing salary to make the math work.

He would be dealt out of a situation where he is finally healthy and positioned to thrive alongside Barnes, into whatever context the Celtics or an intermediary team requires.