Kawhi Leonard may have already bought Toronto house despite trade uncertainty

While Toronto Raptors fans have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of the Kawhi Leonard investigation, one of his former teammates seems to believe the two-time NBA Finals MVP is already preparing for his return to the city.

On the latest episode of the All The Smoke podcast, hosts Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes chatted about the ongoing situation surrounding Leonard. The two former NBA players may have a reason for Raptors fans not to worry.

"Kawhi got a house in Toronto already," Jackson said.

"Investigate if y'all want, this s*** going through, trust me, this s*** is going through. Trust me."

Signs are pointing towards Kawhi Leonard becoming a Raptor this season.

Stak pointed out that Kawhi's already bought a house in Toronto 👀 pic.twitter.com/ETByhieIX5

— ALL THE SMOKE (@allthesmokeprod) August 30, 2026

Jackson and Leonard played together for one year during the 2012-13 NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Kawhi was in his second NBA season and still a young, budding star at the time. Jackson, who was in the latter half of his career, was brought in as a veteran presence behind the young star and played alongside him.

Jackson's comments are certainly interesting for Raptors fans given his previous relationship with Leonard, but they are obviously not confirmation that the 35-year-old is officially a Toronto Raptor just yet.

Still, there are other signs over the past few weeks that Leonard has been preparing for his Toronto return.

The seven-time NBA All-Star was spotted in Toronto in early August attending events and hanging around GTA real estate mogul Sami McDadi, who has a track record of landing real estate deals for major celebrity clients.

The two even caught a National Bank Open match together, adding to Jackson's comments that he might have already bought a home here, and the growing belief that Leonard knows he'll be back in a Raptors uniform.

Kawhi Leonard and longtime partner, Kishele Shipley, chat with Toronto luxury real estate mogul Sami McDadi at the National Bank Open. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)

Toronto's June 30 trade for Leonard was paused shortly afterward, with the Raptors unwilling to take on any potential penalties stemming from the NBA's ongoing investigation into the 35-year-old star and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The investigation has largely centred around Leonard's reported $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration and his relationship with other sponsors tied to the Clippers.

Last month, ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported that the NBA had not found any evidence that the Clippers funnelled money to Leonard through sponsors as a way to circumvent the salary cap.

However, the league quickly pushed back on the report, saying that no outcome had been reached and that the ESPN article contained "numerous" inaccuracies.

With the trade still paused, Leonard is technically a member of the Clippers.

Though if Jackson's comments are any indication, Raptors fans might not have to wait much longer to find out if he'll be back in Toronto.