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The Pistons are still evaluating the prospect of pursuing DeMar DeRozan in free agency, league sources say. It is not yet certain if Detroit will indeed join Toronto as a confirmed bidder for the six-time former All-Star guard, but The Stein Line did learn this week that the Pistons have been assessing the concept.
The tipping point to put on hold the trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors came when it was time for Toronto to officially sign off on the conditions of the deal. According to multiple NBA sources, when the Raptors had to commit in writing to assume any risk of any penalties Leonard might incur from an investigation into his Los Angeles Clippers contract, they decided to pause on the transaction.
According to a source close to the beloved former Toronto all-star, DeRozan would welcome a Raptors return “if everything works out,” while other sources — also granted anonymity in order to speak freely on the subject — say the Raptors front office has been thinking about the possibility for some time.
While a team source denied that the delay is an implication that Toronto fears or expects some penalty, it does show how the probe is already creating consequences even as it continues to examine possible cap circumvention by the Clippers.
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Norman Powell: My lowest point was my third year in the league in Toronto. I just came off of a great playoff run in my second year in the league helping them close out a win series and I signed my contract extension and I worked extremely hard. Looking back I kind of overworked myself and not being smart about how I took care of my body in the summer and I crashed and burned during the season. I had a really bad season and I signed my contract before and just everybody was talking about like I was just a player for money like that's all I cared about, that this will be the last contract that I signed… just a bunch of different things. Just questioning my character and then who I am as a person was definitely tough because you see it every single day.
Regardless, the sense is that both teams are not looking to alter the terms of the deal. Leonard was already at the Raptors practice facility in Toronto earlier in the week, and was in attendance for Kyle Lowry’s retirement announcement on Tuesday. Ingram and Dick were in Las Vegas Thursday night watching the Clippers’ summer league team.
While DeRozan is interested in reuniting with the Raptors, NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed that the former NBA star might likely join teams that will fail to land James in this year's free agency. “He’s almost certainly going to be on a vet minimum somewhere else. Could it be Toronto? ... DeMar has interest in going back to the Raptors, but I think DeMar’s most likely landing spots are going to be teams that don’t get LeBron James," Fischer revealed on Bleacher Report. “I think the Miamis, Cleveland, Golden State, I think those teams are all going to be in the play for him if they don’t get LeBron.”
Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors are expected to start contract extension talks this week in Toronto after his trade becomes official -- and the two-time Finals MVP will do so with new representation. Leonard has hired Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports as his new agent to oversee negotiations, sources told ESPN.
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Gaines will meet with Raptors officials in Toronto over the coming days to discuss the future of Leonard, who has one season and $50.3 million remaining on his contract. Gaines has worked closely with Leonard over the past year as his business attorney. The change is a major shift for Leonard, who previously had Mitch Frankel and his uncle and business adviser Dennis Robertson handle all of his affairs. Frankel represented Leonard on his negotiations with the LA Clippers, including a three-year extension signed in 2024.
Three key reasons Leonard was open to this deal to Toronto, according to sources: Familiarity with a Toronto organization that has the majority of its front office structure in place, now led by executive vice president Bobby Webster. Leonard also likes the city of Toronto and believes the Raptors can contend in the Eastern Conference. Leonard envisions ending his career in Toronto, sources said. Leonard will now be eligible to sign up to a two-year, $123.7 million extension with his new team, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Poeltl has also most commonly been packaged with his teammate RJ Barrett in outgoing deals, as Toronto fans have used their combined 2026-27 salary of $49.1 million to go star-hunting in our trade machine. Overall, 84.4 percent of theoretical Poeltl trades in our trade machine have included Barrett.
Josh Lewenberg: SGA on Kawhi returning to the Raptors: “For as long as I can remember, Toronto has loved the Raptors… I don’t think that’s ever going to change no matter who plays for them. But adding a guy like that to your roster amplifies everything… Toronto should be a good team next year”