RealGM Basketball Wiretap

02 July 2026

• Clippers Guarantee Kris Dunn; Push Back Guarantee Date For Cam Christie

  The LA Clippers have fully guaranteed the $5.7 million contract for guard Kris Dunn. The Clippers and Cam Christie agreed to amend the guarantee date for his $2.3 million contract. LA and Christie pushed that date back from June 30 to July 20.

  Dunn appeared in all 82 games (68 starts) for the Clippers last season. The veteran guard averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals. Dunn has become a consistent three-pointer shooter, in addition to being one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA.

• Kobe Sanders, Clippers Agree To Four-Year, $11.2M Deal

  Kobe Sanders and the Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a four-year, $11.2 million deal in restricted free agency. The first two seasons are guaranteed and the third and fourth are non-guaranteed. Sanders is represented by Ramon Sessions.

  Sanders averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.9 minutes across 68 games.

  The Clippers converted Sanders from a two-way contract to a standard NBA contract in February.

• Raptors Acquire Kawhi Leonard From Clippers For Brandon Ingram, Two First Rounders, One Swap

  The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers are finalizing a trade of Kawhi Leonard for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first round picks, one pick swap and two second rounders. The two first round picks are unprotected in 2031 and 2033 with the first round pick swap in 2027. The Raptors will send second round picks to the Clippers in 2030 and 2033.

  Leonard led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship and then left the franchise to sign with the Clippers.

  The Clippers had elected not to offer Leonard an extension this offseason, which led him to enter the trade market. Leonard signaled that the Raptors were the one team where he'd commit to a long-term extension.

  Leonard is coming off one of his strongest individual campaigns, averaging 27.9 points across 65 regular-season games. He earned All-NBA second team honors and placed seventh in MVP voting. The Clippers, however, finished 42-40 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament.

  Leonard will immediately become eligible to sign an extension worth up to $123.7 million over two seasons with Toronto.

  The Raptors were able to retain RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley as part of the trade as their preference was to instead include Ingram. Ingram signed a three-year, $120 million extension in February 2025 shortly after his trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Raptors. Ingram has two seasons remaining on the contract.

  After letting Paul George leave in free agency in 2024, the Clippers have now reset their roster by trading away James Harden, Ivica Zubac and now Leonard. The Clippers now have three incoming future first round picks as they also own the Indiana Pacers' 2029 first.

  Leonard was open to a trade back to the Raptors due to his familiarity with the front office now led by Bobby Webster, his fondness for the city of Toronto, and his belief that they can contend within the Eastern Conference.

  Leonard now envisions spending the remainder of his career with the Raptors.

• Raptors, Clippers Nearing Kawhi Leonard Trade With Brandon Ingram Likely Included

  The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers are nearing agreement on a Kawhi Leonard trade with the player portion of the deal mostly in place with Brandon Ingram the center piece going back in return. However, the two sides are continuing to negotiate future draft pick compensation to complete the trade.

  "This is lining up," said Brian Windhorst on Get Up on Tuesday morning. "This trade could happen today.

  "I think the Clippers and the Raptors have agreed on player compensation. I think it would be Brandon Ingram, based on from what I've been told, that would head to Los Angeles.

  "What they've been haggling over is the draft pick compensation. The Raptors have all of their forward first round picks. They have up to four to trade. Naturally, the Clippers would want multiple of those. Let's see if they can get this worked out.

  "The key part of this is that the Raptors are willing to offer Leonard an extension. And Leonard is willing to sign in Toronto.

  "What's interesting is that despite him coming off a brilliant season, the Clippers, I am told, are not willing to offer Kawhi Leonard a contract extension of any sort. There's not one on the table. He's not rejecting one to go with another."

  Ingram signed a three-year, $120 million extension in February 2025 shortly after his trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Raptors. Ingram has two seasons remaining on the contract.

  The Clippers will clear additional salary off their books with a Leonard for Ingram swap, which could give them more cap space to explore the free agent market.

• Clippers Haven't Pursued Trade With Celtics For Jaylen Brown

  The Los Angeles Clippers have not pursued a trade for Jaylen Brown as he has come onto the market by the Boston Celtics this offseason, sources tell The Stein Line. The Clippers have no plans to do so even after they complete their anticipated trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.

  The Clippers have begun to remake their roster since the start of the calendar year as they'v traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland, plus Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, the pick that became Keaton Wagler and an unprotected 2029 first rounder.

  The Clippers also plan on pursuing Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets in restricted free agency.

  Brown is eligible for a two-year, $141.8 million contract extension in July.

  Brown finished the 2024-25 season playing through a partially torn right meniscus that required offseason surgery that offseason. Brown recovered to have the best individual season of his career in 2025-26 as he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

  The Celtics have reportedly found Brown's trade interest to be lukewarm when engaging with teams across the NBA after initially offering him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Whether Brown wants to remain with the Celtics is an open question as he's reportedly frustrated with how the franchise has approached the offseason.

• Kawhi Leonard Won't Return To Clippers As Team Unwilling To Offer Extension

  Kawhi Leonard is not expected to return to the Los Angeles Clippers next season as the team is engaging in trade talks after deciding not to offer him a contract extension. The Clippers are currently holding its most serious trade discussions with the Toronto Raptors, who Leonard communicated is the one rival team he would commit to long-term.

  "Kawhi Leonard's tenure in Los Angeles with the Clippers is coming to an end," said Shams Charania on Sports Center. "It's just a matter of when at this point. Because the Clippers are engaged in serious trade talks, specifically with the Toronto Raptors on a deal that would send Kawhi Leonard back up north.

  "The crux of this is very simple: it's contractural. Kawhi has one year and about $50 million left on his contract. My understanding is that the Clippers have shown no interest in doing a long-term contract extension. His long-term future with the Clippers appears to be nearing its end.

  "The Raptors are the one team, sources tell me, Kawhi Leonard would commit to long-term. All signs point towards there being some motivation."

  Leonard is coming off one of his strongest individual campaigns, averaging 27.9 points across 65 regular-season games. He earned All-NBA second team honors and placed seventh in MVP voting. The Clippers, however, finished 42-40 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament.

  After letting Paul George leave in free agency in 2024, the Clippers have now reset their roster by trading away James Harden and Ivica Zubac.

• Clippers Pick Up $9.2M Option On Brook Lopez, Decline On Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nic Batum

  The Los Angeles Clippers have exercised their $9.2 million team option on Brook Lopez for the 2026-27 season. The Clippers have declined their team options on Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum.

  Lopez appeared in 75 games with the Clippers last season, averaging 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes.

  The Clippers had a $16 million team option on Bogdanovic, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks in March 2023.

  Bogdanovic appeared in 23 games with the Clippers, averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 19.7 minutes.

  Batum appeared in 74 games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes in his age-36 season. The Clippers had a $5.9 million team option on Batum.

• Bradley Beal Declines $5.6M Option With Clippers

  Bradley Beal has declined his $5.6 million option for the 2026-27 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Beal suffered a season-ending hip fracture in November.

  Beal signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers during the 2025 offseason.

  Beal appeared in six games with the Clippers, averaging 8.2 points and 1.7 assists in 20.2 minutes. Beal shot 37.5 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent on three-pointers.

• Kawhi Leonard Trade Talks Emerged After Clippers Declined Long-Term Commitment

  Kawhi Leonard's preference to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers has given way to serious trade discussions with the Toronto Raptors after the Clippers declined to offer the All-NBA forward a long-term commitment this offseason, sources told ESPN.

  Leonard holds just one year remaining on his contract at $50.3 million for the 2026-27 season. His representatives informed other clubs he would only pursue a Toronto extension if Los Angeles did not retain him, sources said. The Detroit Pistons and Golden State Warriors were previously interested in a trade for Leonard.

  A return to Toronto would reunite Leonard with the franchise where he won the 2019 NBA title, earning Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points against the Warriors. The two-time Finals MVP, who turns 35 Monday, spent just one season with the Raptors after arriving in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs in July 2018 before departing for the Clippers in free agency.

  Leonard is coming off one of his strongest individual campaigns, averaging 27.9 points across 65 regular-season games. He earned All-NBA second team honors and placed seventh in MVP voting. The Clippers, however, finished 42-40 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament.

  The proposed deal represents a significant reversal for Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, who stated in April his intention to build around Leonard.

  "Our plan is to win with Kawhi," said Frank. "We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So at the appropriate time, we'll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we'd like to win with Kawhi."

  The Clippers are also under NBA investigation over whether they funneled money to Leonard through a $28 million endorsement arrangement with green banking company Aspiration, which held a separate $300 million, 23-year deal with the team.

  Should a trade be completed, Leonard would immediately become eligible to sign a two-year, $123.7 million extension with Toronto, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

  The Clippers took a similar position in 2024 when discussing a new contract with Paul George, which eventually led him to exit in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers.

  The Clippers have also been linked with a trade for Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics.

• Clippers Not Actively Shopping Kawhi Leonard

  The Los Angeles Clippers have not been actively shopping Kawhi Leonard, sources told Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

  With Leonard entering the final year of his current deal and looking for an extension, his willingness to sign a new contract with the Raptors opened up trade discussions between the two sides.

  The Raptors are looking to add Brandon Ingram to the deal instead of RJ Barrett, with Gradey Dick mentioned as another player in a potential trade.

  It is believed that the Clippers would be interested in Ingram as he would keep the team competitive as they move towards a youth movement.