How tall is Kawhi Leonard?

Kawhi Leonard measured 6 feet 6 inches barefoot and 6 feet 7 inches with shoes at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine, weighing 227 pounds. He is officially listed at 6 feet 7 inches by the NBA.

What happens if the NBA investigation finds wrongdoing?

If the NBA finds the Clippers circumvented the salary cap, Leonard's contract could potentially be voided, and the team could face penalties including the loss of draft picks. The closest historical precedent is the 2000 Joe Smith and Minnesota Timberwolves case, in which the team lost five first-round draft picks as a penalty for a similar violation, two of which were later reinstated on appeal.

Kawhi Leonard Hand Size, Wingspan & Combine Measurements — Plus the Raptors Trade on Hold

Q: How big are Kawhi Leonard's hands?

Kawhi Leonard's hands measure 9.75 inches in length (base of palm to tip of middle finger) and 11.25 inches in width (thumb tip to pinky tip with hand outstretched), measured at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine. That width ranks among the largest ever recorded at the combine and is commonly cited as the third-largest hand span of any active NBA player.

Q: What is Kawhi Leonard's wingspan?

Kawhi Leonard's wingspan is 7 feet 3 inches, measured at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine. Combined with a standing reach of 8 feet 10 inches, it gives him significantly more length than his 6-foot-6 barefoot height would suggest — a major factor in his defensive versatility across multiple positions.

Q: Why is the Kawhi Leonard trade to the Raptors on hold?

The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade on June 30, 2026 sending Leonard to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected 2031 and 2033 first-round picks, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks. The deal is on hold because the NBA is investigating whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap through Leonard's $28 million endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration. The Raptors have stated they will not finalize the trade until the investigation concludes, since doing so earlier would mean assuming the risk of any penalty affecting Leonard's contract.

The Verified Combine Measurements

Kawhi Leonard

LA Clippers · Forward · 2x Finals MVP · 2x DPOY

6'6"

Height (barefoot)

7'3"

Wingspan

11.25"

Hand Width — near all-time top

32.0"

Max Vertical

Leonard measured 6-foot-6 barefoot (6-foot-7 with shoes) and 227 pounds at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine, with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and an 8-foot-10 standing reach. None of those numbers are exceptional on their own — they are solid, prototypical small-forward measurements. His 32-inch max vertical and 11.45-second lane agility were similarly unremarkable; nothing at that combine predicted a two-time Finals MVP.

The one number that stood out was his hands. Hand length of 9.75 inches and hand width of 11.25 inches — measured from thumb tip to pinky tip with the hand outstretched — put him among a small handful of players in combine history with that level of grip. It's commonly cited as the third-largest hand span of any active NBA player, and it shows up constantly on film: strips that shouldn't be possible, one-handed control through contact, and a mid-range pull-up that looks unbothered by any degree of contest.

The Underwhelming Combine That Became a Two-Time Finals MVP

Leonard's 2011 Combine vs Typical Small Forward Prospect

Height6'6" barefoot

Average

Wingspan7'3"

Solid, unremarkable

Max Vertical32.0"

Below average

Hand Width11.25"

Elite, all-time rare

Leonard slid to 15th overall in 2011 in part because nothing about his combine numbers screamed star. The Spurs traded for him on draft night anyway, betting on defensive instincts and shooting touch that testing doesn't capture. That bet paid off in 2014, when a 22-year-old Leonard took on prime LeBron James and won his first Finals MVP. A second followed in 2019 with Toronto, making him one of a small handful of players to win Finals MVP with two different franchises.

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The hand-size pattern: Leonard's profile — wing-sized frame, oversized hands, defensive instincts that don't show up on a stat sheet — has become a scouting shorthand. Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez posted a 10.25-inch hand length at the 2025 combine, the second-longest ever measured, on a 6'6" frame. Scouts have already drawn the Kawhi comparison directly, for exactly this reason.

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The Trade That's Frozen in Place

On June 30, 2026, the Clippers and Raptors agreed to a trade sending Leonard back to Toronto — the franchise he led to its only championship in 2019 — in exchange for a package built around Brandon Ingram and future draft capital.

Team	Key Assets in the Deal
Raptors receive	Kawhi Leonard
Clippers receive	Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected 2031 & 2033 first-round picks, 2027 first-round swap, two second-round picks

The trade has not closed. Both teams announced it's on hold pending the outcome of an NBA investigation — open since last offseason — into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap through a $28 million endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration, a now-bankrupt company that also held a separate $300 million, 23-year sponsorship deal with the team itself. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had personally invested in Aspiration and has denied knowledge of Leonard's specific deal.

The Raptors' statement was direct: the league told them that finalizing the trade before the investigation concludes would mean assuming the risk of any penalty affecting Leonard's contract. Rather than take that risk, Toronto is waiting — which means Ingram and Dick remain Raptors for now, and Leonard remains a Clipper, despite a deal that's been publicly agreed to for over two weeks.

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What's actually at stake: As of this writing, the investigation has grown in scope — reportedly now also examining unreimbursed Clippers expenses and a previously unreported second endorsement deal involving Leonard. If the league finds a violation, Leonard's contract could theoretically be voided, and the Clippers could lose draft picks. The closest precedent is the 2000 Joe Smith–Minnesota Timberwolves case, where the team lost five first-round picks for a similar cap-circumvention violation (two were later reinstated on appeal).

What Happens Next

There's no announced timetable for the investigation's conclusion, and it has now run more than 10 months. Until it wraps, the Clippers, Raptors, and Leonard himself are all in limbo — a deal fully agreed to by both front offices, sitting frozen by a process neither team controls. For a league that prides itself on tightly managed player movement, it's an unusually public example of just how much power the investigation process holds over even a completed trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big are Kawhi Leonard's hands?

Leonard's hands measure 9.75 inches in length and 11.25 inches in width, measured at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine. That width is commonly cited as the third-largest of any active NBA player and remains one of the most distinctive measurements in combine history.

What is Kawhi Leonard's wingspan?

Leonard's wingspan is 7 feet 3 inches, with a standing reach of 8 feet 10 inches — both measured at the 2011 combine. Combined with his hand size, it's a big part of why he plays defense far longer than his 6-foot-6 barefoot height alone would suggest.

Why is the Kawhi Leonard trade to the Raptors on hold?

The Clippers and Raptors agreed to the trade on June 30, 2026, but it can't be finalized until the NBA concludes its investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap through Leonard's endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration. The Raptors have chosen to wait rather than assume the risk of a penalty affecting Leonard's contract after the trade closes.

What could happen if the NBA finds wrongdoing?

Leonard's contract could potentially be voided, and the Clippers could face penalties including lost draft picks. The 2000 Joe Smith–Timberwolves case is the closest precedent — Minnesota lost five first-round picks for a similar violation, with two later reinstated on appeal.

Was Kawhi Leonard a top combine prospect in 2011?

No — his combine numbers were largely unremarkable for a small forward prospect, which contributed to him sliding to 15th overall. His hand size was the one standout measurement. The Spurs traded for him on draft night based on defensive instincts and shooting touch the combine doesn't test, a bet that led to two Finals MVP awards with two different franchises.

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