The Boston Celtics will be part of a formidable Eastern Conference next season -- perhaps the most formidable in the past five years. Boston is expected to be competitive again, along with the New York Knicks, new-look Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, and returning contenders Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
Oh, and Kawhi Leonard might be playing for the Toronto Raptors. It’s not often that we get to through the “might” word around when discussing superstars in the late summer, but this Leonard situation is unique.
If you’ve missed it, the two-time NBA Finals MVP is under league investigation for alleged no-show endorsement deals that would’ve helped the Los Angeles Clippers to circumvent the salary cap and pay him more than a supermax contract. The entire process has dragged out for almost a year, following Pablo Torre’s original reporting on the alleged side-deals.
The Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade last month that netted the Raps Kawhi for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and some draft picks. Said deal has been on pause in anticipation of the NBA’s verdict following the conclusion of the investigation.
Depending on what they decide, there’s a possibility that Leonard’s contract will be voided, and whichever team he is with will no longer have him under team control. With this caveat in play, the Raptors put a pause on the trade to protect themselves from the verdict.
Kawhi makes the Raptors better, and the Celtics' division tougher
Should the trade go through with Leonard heading to Toronto, the East gets even deeper. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, that’s the outcome that Leonard and his camp are anticipating with training camp about six weeks away.
“Leonard, sources say, strongly believes that the trade will ultimately go through, enabling him to rejoin the Raptors in time for training camp,” Fischer wrote on Monday in the latest Steinline newsletter. “The trade was agreed to, sources say, with the idea that the 35-year-old would also negotiate a multiyear extension with Toronto to extend the reunion beyond the coming season.”
Toronto finished sixth in the East last season, and adding Leonard almost certainly would make them a contender this season. The 35-year-old, though often criticized for his lack of availability, had an incredible campaign in the 2025-26 year. He appeared in 65 games, his second-highest total in the past decade, and landed on the All-NBA Second Team after leading the Clippers to an incredible in-season turnaround (that ultimately flamed out in the Play-In Tournament).
There’s real reason to believe he’d elevate an already competitive Raptors squad and make the Eastern Conference more treacherous for the Celtics. At this point, though, all we can do is wait for the verdict -- just like Kawhi.
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