Sources: Kawhi hires new agent for next deal

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. 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. On June 30, the Clippers agreed to trade Leonard to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round picks. The trade cannot be made official until Monday. Leonard previously won Finals MVP with the Raptors in 2019, as he averaged 28.5 points per game in the victory over the Golden State Warriors. As the Clippers discussed trades with multiple interested teams ahead of the NBA draft last month, Leonard made it clear he wanted to sign an extension only with the Raptors, sources said, the team he led to the franchise's first and only championship in 2019. Leonard's decision to make Toronto his preferred destination made a difference on the market, as suitors such as Minnesota and Detroit did not move forward in their pursuits without a long-term commitment from him. According to ESPN Research, Leonard's return to Toronto will make him the 53rd player in NBA history who won a championship, played elsewhere in the league, then later reunited with his former team. None of the previous 52 averaged 20 points per game immediately prior to making the jump back, whether that be the season before (for offseason acquisitions) nor in the same season (for midseason acquisitions). 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. Leonard's former team is under investigation by the NBA that is focused on whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by funneling money to him through his $28 million endorsement deal with green banking company Aspiration, which also had a $300 million, 23-year endorsement deal with the team. Team owner Steve Ballmer, who invested $60 million in Aspiration, has denied he had knowledge of Leonard's deal. Leonard has also denied any wrongdoing. Leonard and Robertson have been interviewed by investigators as part of the league's inquiry, according to sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.