The NBA had been investigating Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers for the past year over potential salary cap circumvention. On Wednesday, that investigation came to an end, with the league finding that the Clippers improperly funneled off-court endorsement and income opportunities to Leonard through corporate partners — including Aspiration, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance — in exchange for his business with the team. As a result, the league fined the Clippers $30 million and forced them to forfeit five consecutive first-round draft picks (2029 through 2033).
Owner Steve Ballmer was also suspended from all team and league activities for one year. Leonard himself was fined $700,000 for violating league rules, though the NBA did not void his contract or suspend him. That left one major lingering question: what happens to the Clippers-Raptors trade?
On Wednesday's episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Shams Charania provided a significant update on where things stand now that the investigation has concluded. "There's full expectation that this trade will be going down as is between the Clippers and the Raptors that had multiple first-round picks, other swaps, and second-round pick considerations going to the Clippers. The trade is on track, and both sides can now move forward with getting this deal done," Charania said.
"Kawhi Leonard took responsibility for his lapse in judgment and understanding the distraction that this has caused, but the union has also made it clear behind the scenes that in their minds this is a case of a player being taken advantage of by a business representative on his behalf. In this case, this business representative happens to be Kawhi Leonard's uncle. But now the Clippers and the Raptors are going into this expecting the trade to formalize." More news: LeBron James-Austin Reaves Relationship Had Serious Tension During Lakers Season Raptors fans have been waiting for this moment for months.
When word first spread that the man who delivered Toronto its first NBA title in 2019 could be returning — by choice, no less — the city went crazy. But NBA commissioner Adam Silver had repeatedly stated that no deal could proceed until the investigation concluded, and with uncertainty over how, or if, Leonard would be punished, some feared the trade could be called off entirely. Now, it appears Raptors fans can finally start looking forward to Leonard joining a core featuring Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and others in Toronto.
The original trade framework sent Leonard to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Toronto's first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033. More news: Ravens GM Drops Telling Comment on Lamar Jackson’s Future in Baltimore More news: Aaron Donald Drops Bold Claim About Return to NFL As for Leonard's longtime business manager, Dennis Robertson — known as "Uncle Dennis" and reportedly Leonard's actual uncle — the investigation's findings have resulted in him being banned from conducting business with any NBA player, team, or league personnel for the next five years.
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