Kawhi Leonard’s move to the Toronto Raptors has been in limbo since the start of the month due to the team’s unwillingness to absorb the risk of the punishments the NBA could impose on Leonard, who is in the middle of a salary circumvention scandal with the LA Clippers.
With such uncertainty, the Raptors received a grim scenario from ESPN insider Ramona Shelbourne where Leonard will not be with the team to start the 2026-2027 NBA season. It also means that they would have to open the season with the players they decided to trade for Leonard last month, such as Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick.
“It sounds crazy after a trade like this but this was the Toronto Raptors being given a choice of: are you willing to assume the risks of something happening with Kawhi Leonard after the investigation is completed?,” Shelbourne said on NBA Today.
“And they are not willing to assume those risks. And so if they’re not, then we get to the end of the summer and there’s not a resolution here,” she said. “And there’s nobody from the NBA who could say with 100% certainty that there won’t be any fallout for Kawhi Leonard specifically. Then it’s up to the Raptors.”
“I can see a world in which Kawhi Leonard is back on the Clippers if this trade doesn’t go through. And the Clippers, quite frankly, are fine with that. Now, they did the trade. They like Brandon Ingram, but they like Kawhi Leonard too. This only happened because they weren’t really willing to extend him.”
—@ramonashelburne on Kawhi’s potential future with the looming NBA investigation
Raptors, Clippers Still Want The Kawhi Leonard Trade To Happen
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 25: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers makes a slam dunk against Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Intuit Dome on March 25, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Clippers agreed to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), a 2027 first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks (2030, 2033).
The two teams reportedly still intend to complete the deal once the NBA’s resolution on the issue is finalized.
However, there is no real timetable for the investigation. In the latest report from ESPN, the resolution could come in 2027, dragging the investigation on during the season.
The probe centers on a $28 million endorsement contract (plus $20 million in company stock) Leonard signed with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt green banking company heavily invested in by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
Investigators are looking into whether the deal was a “no-show” job designed to funnel un-capped, off-the-books money to Leonard to ensure he stayed with the Clippers, which would violate Article XIII of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
NBA Commissioner Brings Up Ultimatum For League Investigation
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver brought up an ultimatum for the investigation on Leonard and the Clippers.
“I would say this can be wrapped up — and needs to be wrapped up — before next season,” Silver said in July during the NBA Board of Governors meetings in Las Vegas.
However, that seems to be a long shot with many details still surfacing as of posting time.
Leonard has been seen with numerous Raptors teammates in Las Vegas and at the ceremonial Kyle Lowry retirement signing this month.
For now, the two-time NBA champion and the franchises involved must wait.
Toronto Raptors Get Grim Scenario About Kawhi Leonard To Start The Season