In a surprising development, the proposed Kawhi Leonard trade between the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors may go through after all, allowing “The Klaw” to return to the franchise he brought an NBA championship to in 2019.
Per SportsNet’s Michael Grange, the NBA is expected to discreetly resolve its investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with undisclosed endorsements for Leonard, ultimately allowing the trade to be completed as planned.
“The most likely outcome? A negotiated settlement where the NBA gets to enforce some version of its rules, [Steve] Ballmer can save face and Leonard can play for the Raptors,” the NBA insider reported on Friday after fresh allegations surfaced involving Leonard, the Clippers and videoboard manufacturer Daktronics.
Kawhi Leonard Trade on Hold
The trade was paused after the NBA signaled that Toronto would inherit any penalties against Leonard—including a potential suspension or contract voiding—should he be found guilty. Unwilling to take on that liability, the Raptors placed the deal on hold, though insiders report the team remains committed to completing the move once the investigation concludes. As per the original deal, the Clippers were set to receive two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and two first-round picks.
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported last month that both the Raptors and Clippers are keen to complete the trade eventually, even if the investigation drags into early next year.
“Both the Clippers and Raptors have said that they still intend to complete the deal, though it’s unclear how an arbitration process might impact their ability to do so,” wrote the insider, adding that the NBA was aware of the stakes.
Kawhi Leonard-Clippers Fiasco Intensifies
Grange’s report on Friday came shortly after award-winning journalist Pablo Torre dropped a new bombshell alleging that Leonard had an undisclosed sponsorship deal worth millions of dollars with Daktronics — the company that designed the Clippers’ videoboard inside the Intuit Dome.
Amid the latest allegations, Grange noted that the NBA had unofficially finished its investigation and was nearing a resolution.
“Per league sources, there’s a belief the investigation has already moved beyond its fact-finding stage and the parties involved — specifically the Clippers and the NBPA (which is monitoring the situation to see what if any consequences befall Leonard) — are working quietly to get the entire issue resolved, something [Adam] Silver hinted at back on July 14 when he last spoke publicly on the issue,” he wrote.
The insider, however, said it remains unclear if Torre’s latest findings linking Leonard to Daktronics have been incorporated into the league’s ongoing investigation.
“Whether Torre’s latest finding is new information to the NBA’s investigation or not — a report in The Athletic last month said a second no-show endorsement deal was already part of the investigation — the sense is that it won’t affect the next stage of the process, namely figuring out what the league is going to do with the information it has collected.
“An NBA spokesperson refused comment when reached by Sportsnet about the status of the investigation. A representative of the NBPA didn’t respond to a request for comment,” Grange added.
Toronto Raptors Get Unexpected Good News on Kawhi Leonard Trade