In June, the Los Angeles Clippers agreed to trade their franchise player back to the Toronto Raptors. But clearly, a ton has happened since.
The proposed Leonard trade has yet to finalize nearly a week since the NBA dropped the hammer on the Clippers as a result of its investigation into the team and Leonard for salary cap circumvention. The NBA handed out the steepest team punishment in its history.
Wrote ESPN’s Shams Charania on X, formerly Twitter: The Clippers shall forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA Drafts. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard, and for his failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumvention rules. Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for one year for being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators. Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for six months for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family. The Clippers organization and personnel are subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office for a period of five years.”
The Ruling Has Been Made, But the Raptors Still Wait
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer (h/t Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters), the Leonard trade is still frozen because the Clippers are sorting out their front office in the wake of the investigation penalties.
“NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Tuesday that the trade has not been finalized because the Clippers are still restructuring their front office after team owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received suspensions,” Peters wrote.
Toronto Accepted Risks Associated With Reacquiring Leonard
As the NBA continues to sift through the investigation, the Clippers could get slapped with more penalties.
There is no indication that the trade will get rescinded, but the nearly two-and-a-half month wait for Leonard to become a Raptor has to have gotten exhausting for the Toronto front office.
Leonard will not be suspended nor face additional penalties beyond a $700,000 fine. He is expected to leave the Clippers soon and even ink a generous contract extension shortly after landing back with the Raptors.
Leonard, 35, was the driving force behind the Raptors march to the 2019 NBA Finals, where they defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games.
If the trade goes through, Leonard will face similar expectations as he tries to lead a young, rising Toronto team in a suddenly revamped Eastern Conference.
Report: Raptors Finally Learn What’s Holding Up the Kawhi Leonard Trade