Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors is still in limbo, two months after the trade was agreed upon with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Many have since raised eyebrows about the current status of the deal, with some asking if the NBA is holding up the trade. Others think the Clippers are making it hard for Kawhi, who was only fined $700,000 for restitution on the salary cap scandal.
NBA insider Marc Stein gave some clarity on the situation, saying that the league is not holding out the trade.
“Sources briefed on the situation tell @TheSteinLine that the Clippers and Raptors are free at any time to co-submit for NBA approval their agreed-in-June Kawhi Leonard trade. Obviously both teams must want the trade call, but I’m told there is no holdup at league level,” Stein reported on X.”
Raptors, Clippers Can Finalize Kawhi Leonard Trade Anytime
He added that the Clippers and the Raptors can submit their agreed-upon trade to the league office for final approval at any time.
However, it is worth noting that the Clippers are still facing some front office dilemma after the NBA’s punishments, which could have affected the finalization of the Leonard trade to the Raptors.
Clippers team owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension from all league and team activities, President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year for providing misleading statements to investigators, and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months.
This comes on top of the NBA fining the Clippers a record-shattering $30 million and stripping them of five consecutive first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033.
In the full trade framework, the Raptors receive Leonard to facilitate a reunion with the star who led them to their 2019 NBA championship. In return, the Clippers acquire Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick along with the Raptors’ unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033.
The picks could be vital in the Clippers’ future after the league stripped them of their own first-round selections for five years.
Kawhi Leonard Raises Toronto Raptors Ceiling Next Season
Kawhi Leonard is expected to be the star in the Raptors’ 2026-2027 NBA campaign, once the trade is finalized with the Clippers.
Once the pending trade is approved following recent NBA investigations, Leonard will join a revamped roster featuring all-star Scottie Barnes, Canadian swingman RJ Barrett, point guard Immanuel Quickley, and young core pieces like Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter.
Leonard will also join a team that finished sixth in the regular season during the regular season and forced a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers went on to advance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
While they are veering away from Ingram, Leonard would be a more-than-capable replacement, considering that he led the Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship in his lone season there in 2019.
Leonard is also a two-time NBA champion, with his first title coming in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs. In both of those championship runs, Leonard was named the Finals MVP.
Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors Trade Takes New Turn With Latest Revelation