Kawhi Leonard may be walking away from the salary cap circumvention scandal with the Los Angeles Clippers unscathed, but rumors continue to follow him.
Talking on the Hoops Collective podcast, NBA insider Brian Windhorst hinted that Leonard may never have wanted to return to Toronto, and he was only compelled to be with the Raptors because he wanted to get out of the situation with the Clippers.
“I don’t know if he [Kawhi Leonard] wants to go there [Toronto Raptors], but he has to go there. He has to get out [of Los Angeles],” Windhorst said.
Another NBA Analyst Disagreed About Kawhi Leonard
Tim McMahon, another NBA analyst, disagreed with Windhorst before he clarified what he meant by his first claim.
“I do think [he wants to go there]. I mean, he direct his way to Toronto,” McMahon said.
“I know, but if he ranked his choices, I’m not sure that that’s where [he wanted to go],” Windhorst said. “I don’t want to get into that.”
The blockbuster deal, which was originally agreed upon in principle on June 30, 2026, sends Leonard to Toronto in exchange for forward Brandon Ingram, young guard Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks.
The transaction was abruptly frozen for over two months while the league looked into improper off-court benefits and endorsement opportunities funneled to Leonard by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard’s former advisor, Dennis Robertson.
The NBA concluded its investigation and dropped harsh penalties on the Clippers, including a $30 million fine, the loss of five future first-round draft picks, and a one-year suspension for Ballmer, while Leonard was fined $700,000 but spared from a contract voidance or suspension, green-lighting the trade.
Leonard played one season with the Raptors in 2019, leading them to their first-ever NBA championship after beating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Leonard left in free agency to join the LA Clippers a few months later, but his one year made him a Toronto sports icon.
Kawhi Leonard Did Not Know Of The Salary Cap Circumvention
NBA insider Shams Charania revealed why Kawhi Leonard was spared from harsh punishments by the league.
According to Charania, Leonard did not know of the salary cap circumvention that happened between his inner circle and the Clippers.
“And the investigation, I do have to make it clear, did show that Kawhi Leonard did not have any knowledge of this salary cap circumvention that was going on. He had essentially given all of the power to his uncle Dennis Robertson for years now, and Dennis Robertson is now banned from all basketball business moving forward,” Charania said.
With that detail, Leonard is now free to focus on his next chapter with the Raptors, where he is expected to lead a young Toronto team in a stacked Eastern Conference.
In Toronto, Leonard is expected to have a hero’s welcome and will be teaming up with a promising young core led by Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Ja’Kobe Walter.
On the other hand, he is also leaving behind a tumultuous stint with the Clippers, now mostly remembered for how it ended.
Kawhi Leonard Never Wanted Raptors Trade, Insider Hints