The Kawhi Leonard trade to the Toronto Raptors is still very much alive, and both sides are operating like it will get done.
Leonard and the Raptors have received no indication that the two-time Finals MVP will face a voided contract, per Hoops Hype. The trade, agreed to on June 30, has been on hold as the NBA works through its investigation into the Clippers.
The Deal As It Stands
The Clippers agreed to send Leonard to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft picks. It is the kind of blockbuster that reshapes both franchises. LA gets younger and unloads Leonard’s contract. Toronto gets its second superstar to pair with Scottie Barnes and a shot at contending in a weakened East.
The problem is the NBA. The league is investigating whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by funneling money to Leonard through a $28 million endorsement deal with the green banking company Aspiration. Toronto put the deal on ice because the Raptors did not want to inherit the fallout of a potential Leonard suspension or contract void.
Why This Is Now Trending Positive
The NBA has reportedly found no evidence that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money to Leonard to skirt the cap. That is the key finding. Without a direct link to Ballmer or the team, the league does not have a case for voiding the contract.
Leonard’s camp has been in communication with the players’ union throughout, and the messaging has been consistent. No suspension, no voided deal, business as usual.
He is operating under the assumption that the investigation wraps before training camp and that he will report to Toronto ready to play.
What This Means For Toronto
Getting Leonard changes everything for the Raptors. Barnes is a rising star, Immanuel Quickley is a legitimate lead guard, and adding a two-way superstar with Leonard’s playoff resume creates a legitimate top-four East contender overnight.
Health is going to be the eternal question with Kawhi. He has played 68 games or fewer in each of his last six seasons. But when he is on the floor, he is still one of the 10 best players in basketball, and the Raptors have the infrastructure to manage his minutes.
What This Means For The Clippers
LA is officially in transition. Losing Leonard means the Ballmer-Doc Rivers-Kawhi-Paul George era is fully dead. What comes next is a mystery, but it starts with Ingram, Dick, whatever picks come back, and James Harden trying to hold the roster together.
Ballmer is not going to tank. He is going to spend and try to build a new core. But the Clippers just went from second-round hopeful to lottery risk if Leonard is really gone.
Timing
Camp starts in about six weeks. The trade needs to be resolved by then, and every source close to the situation is confident it will be. If the investigation wraps clean, Leonard is a Raptor by Labor Day. If it drags on, the drama continues into September.
Right now, Toronto is planning on him. That is the tell.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
