Projecting the 2026 Toronto Raptors’ starting lineup after Kawhi Leonard trade
· Yahoo Sports
Kawhi Leonard is back in the Toronto Raptors’ starting lineup after the latest blockbuster trade in the NBA between Toronto and the Los Angeles Clippers.
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According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Raptors are acquiring Leonard from the Clippers in a deal that sees Los Angeles receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and one pick swap.
Leonard and the Raptors are also planning on hammering out a two-year contract extension following the trade, per NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes.
The writing was on the wall for days that the Clippers and Raptors would get something done.
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Now, Leonard is heading back to Toronto, where he won a championship during the 2018-19 campaign, which was his lone season with the Raptors.
Raptors starting lineup with Kawhi Leonard
Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesThere’s a few ways the Raptors could go with their lineup now that Kawhi is back in town, but here’s what we project Toronto’s starting five will be:
PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: RJ Barrett
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jakob Poeltl
The Raptors have a few options to play center, with Collin Murray-Boyles being the other, so don’t be surprised if he is in the starting five instead of Poeltl.
However, rolling with Murray-Boyles over Poeltl would make this lineup extremely small, as the former is only 6-foot-7. Poeltl gives the Raptors more size with his 7-foot frame.
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Whether it’s Poeltl or Murray-Boyles, the Raptors have great strength, physicality, versatility and defensive prowess in the front court with those two and Leonard and Barnes.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Defensive player, Barnes earned the honor this past season and Murray-Boyles and Poeltl are both respected defenders.
There will be no shortage of scoring punch in this lineup, also, as Leonard, Barrett and Barnes all scored north of 20 points per game last season, with Barnes and Barrett both totaling 24.1 points per contest.
Toronto should be good from beyond the arc, too, with each player of that trio hitting over 38% of their three-pointers in 2025-26.
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All of that and we haven’t even mentioned guys like Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter and Allen Graves coming off the bench along with Murray-Boyles or Poeltl.
We’ll see if the Raptors have any other significant moves up their sleeves, but right now it’s looking like Toronto is primed to take a leap forward after a season in which the team went 46-36 and finished in the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.