The Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto is done. It just might not stay done.
Back in June, the Clippers agreed to send Kawhi to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a package of future draft picks. Then the NBA launched an investigation into whether the Clippers funneled money to Leonard through a company called Aspiration to circumvent the salary cap. Journalist Pablo Torre later reported a second company, Daktronics, may have done the same.
Adam Silver is expected to hand down his findings before the 2026-27 season tips off. That timeline is running short.
Why Kawhi Actually Wants Toronto
Leonard has “strong” feelings that the trade will go through. He expects to be in Raptors camp. That is per Jake Fischer, who reports Kawhi is telling people around him that the reunion happens.
The pull here is obvious. Toronto is where Kawhi won his first title, where he hit the shot over Embiid, where the fans still chant his name like he never left. He gets to be the guy again on a rebuilding roster with real developmental runway.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are a mess. James Harden is aging. Kawhi’s knees have been a decade-long research project. LA had already committed to a rebuild before this investigation blew up in their faces.
The Package the Raptors Are Actually Giving Up
Brandon Ingram is a legit 20-plus point scorer who can create his own shot. Gradey Dick is a floor-spacer with real starter upside. The draft picks give LA something to build around when Kawhi finally hangs it up in a few years.
For Toronto, this is a swing at the fences. Ingram was a nice piece. Dick was a fun young player. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time Finals MVP and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who can still be the best player in a playoff series when healthy.
You take that gamble every time.
The Real Question Is What the NBA Does
If Silver rules the salary cap circumvention was real, everything gets complicated. The worst-case scenarios floated so far include voiding Kawhi’s contract entirely or rescinding the trade to Toronto altogether. Either outcome puts the Raptors in a mess they did not sign up for.
The more likely outcome is a fine, some lost draft picks for the Clippers, and the trade going through anyway. That is what most Raptors insiders are betting on. It is also what Kawhi appears to believe.
Toronto has waited seven years to get its guy back. If the league lets the deal breathe, this becomes one of the most emotionally loaded returns in NBA history. Kawhi walking back into Scotiabank Arena in a Raptors jersey would be the kind of story that writes itself.
The Clippers are staring at a dynasty attempt dying on the vine. The Raptors are chasing a ghost from their championship past. Now everybody waits on Adam Silver.
Buckle up. This one has a long way to go.
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.
