The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer.
In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”
It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.
The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.
Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized.
Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.
The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer.
In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”
It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.
The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.
Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized.
Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto. His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value,” Raptors general manager and executive vice-president Bobby Webster said in a statement by the team. “We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship. We also want to thank Brandon and Gradey and appreciate their work ethic, character, and basketball excellence they brought to our team every day.”
The Toronto Raptors have welcomed Kawhi Leonard back with open arms despite a near year-long investigation by the NBA. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Followed by the statement, the Raptors social media team released a photo of Leonard in a Toronto uniform with the caption “He back.”
The news of Leonard being traded to the Raptors comes after an 11-month investigation by the NBA on Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the NBA’s salary cap, where journalist Pablo Torree revealed Leonard made an additional $28-million endorsement from the Steve Ballmer-owned company, Aspiration.
After it was announced on Monday afternoon that Leonard had officially been traded back to Toronto, the Raptors released a statement sharing their excitement. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
On September 2, the Clippers and Ballmer were found guilty, and the result was the Clippers being stripped of five first-round picks and a $30 million fine, while Leonard is being fined $700,000, and his uncle and former business representative, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from all NBA business dealings for five years.
While the investigation was still ongoing, the Clippers announced in July that they were trading Leonard to the Raptors, the same team he helped reach their first NBA championship during the 2018-2019 NBA season.
The news of Leonard being traded to the Raptors comes after an 11-month investigation by the NBA on Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the NBA’s salary cap. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Leonard’s first stint with the Raptors was a one year fling, as he was traded by the San Antonio Spurs to Toronto.
After helping them win the NBA Finals, where he was crowned Finals MVP, Leonard signed a three-year, $103-million deal with the Clippers.
The Clippers, who had hopes of winning an NBA title with Leonard and were constantly adding around him, could never get over the hump as the closest they came to reaching the NBA Finals was in 2021 where they reached the Western Conference Finals and eventually lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games.
Now on his way back to Toronto following a seven-year stint in Los Angeles, Leonard will have a brand new beginning, while the Clippers will be entering a new dark chapter for the franchise.
The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer.
In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”
It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.
The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.
Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized.
Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.
TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 19: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors warms up prior to an NBA game against the Indiana Pacers at Scotiabank Arena on December 19, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Toronto Raptors have officially confirmed via press release that Kawhi Leonard, the 7-time All-Star, 2-time Finals-MVP, and bringer of championships to two separate teams, IS a Toronto Raptor for the 2026-2027 season.
In the wake of a report from Shams Charania earlier today, the Toronto Raptors remained silent for a number of hours on the mater. That was a silence that left me with a sense of mild discomfort throughout the day. Yes, Shams is usually reliable about these things, and his word is basically taken as gospel amongst fans of the NBA. But, belief in the talking heads is what got the Raptors fanbase into the whirlpool of uncertainty and misery that has been the last few months as a result of the Aspiration Scandal.
Me personally? I was willing to believe it, but until the proverbial fat lady (fat dinosaur?) was to sing, I wouldn’t feel quite settled.
And now, official confirmation has come in that Kawhi Anthony Leonard will be on the court for the Toronto Raptors this season. And with Kawhi comes all of the good and the bad. The scoring and the defence come with the injury concerns and the age. With the seemingly renewed sense of commitment to Toronto comes the baggage of Aspiration and the bevy of other associated misdoings that happened or are alleged to have occurred in Los Angeles.
But, I have a feeling that for the Raptors fans, the ones who saw Kyle and DeMar fail to reach the next step, the ones who saw Leonard’s shot go in against Philadelphia, and the ones who saw the team reach heights then-unknown in 2019, will disregard the uncomfortable and fall into the familiar embrace of Toronto’s Terminator.
Kawhi is now a Raptor. That was meant to be the easy part. There are 82 games still ahead of the young squad to even re-approach the playoffs. It’s a good thing they now have someone who knows the direction to the promised land.
Mariska Hargitay brought her fandom to the Emmys, with Knicks star Jalen Brunson making a cameo in her cold open as she hosted the award show airing on NBC.
The Emmys opened with the “Law & Order: SVU” star steaming a gold dress while talking about the pressure of hosting and asking an unseen person, “Have you ever felt like you have millions of eyes on you and it all comes down to one night?”
The camera then cuts to Brunson, steaming his blue Knicks jersey.
“Hey Jalen, it’s just me, alright. I don’t have anyone to tap it in for me,” Hargitay responds, poking fun at the now-iconic moment from Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs when OG Anunoby tipped in the game-winning basket in the closing seconds after Brunson’s 3-pointer hit off the front of the rim.
The pair’s affinity for each other is well known, and Hargitay is counted among the Knicks’ tried-and-true celeb fans. She was a constant presence during the team’s championship run this spring, and Hargitay was even captured giving Brunson a big hug after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson and Mariska Hargitay at the Emmy opening. NBCJalen Brunson and Mariska Hargitay at the Emmy opening. NBC
“I love you so much; I’m so happy,” she told him after the dramatic Knicks win.
Brunson has talked about his “Law & Order: SVU” fandom in the past and said on his “The Roommates Show” podcast that he grew up watching the show.
“You just hear the iconic [theme song] ‘dun-dun’ all the time in the house,” he said. “My dad also watches the TV incredibly loud, so you hear it throughout the house.”
Assistant Coach Rick Brunson of the New York Knicks, actress Mariska Hargitay, and Jalen Brunson ride on a float during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally,. Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Brunson has also said that he was a bit starstruck the first time he met her.
I saw [Mariska], I was like ‘Oh s–t.’ The first time we met, it was awesome. We talked and everything,” he said.
Sometimes the best moves a team can make are the ones that aren’t the flashiest.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appeared on the “Tom Tolbert Show” this weekend and spoke about how he’s excited about the depth that the Warriors front office acquired over the offseason.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr content with Warriors offseason. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
“Look, we did the best we could to put together the roster,” Kerr said. “I think Yaxel [Lendeborg] is going to help quite a bit.”
A few months after Lendeborg was sensational during the College Basketball March Madness tournament by leading Michigan to its second championship in school history, Golden State selected him with the No.11 pick.
Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg taking a photo with a fan at a Michigan football game. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Lendeborg has yet to play in an NBA game, but has already made a strong first impression on Kerr and the Warriors after leading their Summer League team to a championship and being crowned MVP of the tournament.
“He’s a really good player; he’s older, he’s mature,” Kerr said. “Watching him work out with our guys, he’s going to help us.”
Kerr went on to name Gui Santos, Brandin Poziemski, Georges Niang, and Brandon Williams as other players who aren’t “earth-shattering,” but will help them down the line.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is content with offseason moves. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Aside from relying on some key role players, Kerr also added that the team will get some back-end insurance from players like Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody returning to the team.
Last month, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported that Moody is expected to rejoin basketball activities later this month and could return to playing in the early part of the season.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Tarris Reed Jr. #10 of the San Antonio Spurs blocks the shot of Matt Cleveland #99 of the Utah Jazz during the game on July 15, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Once again, the San Antonio Spurs come into a new NBA season with a lot of new blood. They have a whopping four (4) new rookies, including two first-round picks and two second-round picks on two-way contracts.
The two rookies getting the most hype are Tarris Reed Jr. and Jayden Quaintance, who were both selected at the end of the first round. Quaintance is coming off knee surgery that will likely keep him out of the lineup to start the season. His status will be something to monitor as the season progresses. If he can play at the end of the season, he could be a lightning rod off the bench, providing athleticism, defense and size on the interior.
Reed Jr. gives them the third big man that San Antonio desperately needed last season. If Victor Wembanyama or Luke Kornet need to miss time, or if the Spurs simply need another look, Reed Jr. could fill in. With his combination of size and physicality, he could earn his way into the rotation by providing some energy off the bench.
Brown and Gillespie are likely to provide insurance at the end of the roster, but don’t forget that San Antonio has gotten important performances from two-way players in the past, like David Jones-Garcia or Dominick Barlow.
Which rookie will give San Antonio the most this season? Vote in the poll below, and we will come back later in the week with the results.
Kawhi Leonard walks off the court at the Intuit Dome for the last time as a Clipper following the team's season-ending loss to the Golden State Warriors on April 15. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Along with Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers should send the Toronto Raptors a fruit basket and a thank you card.
Because what was already a steal when the teams first agreed to the trade in June now looks like an absolute lifesaver. Paddles for the life raft so the Clippers can change directions and make better decisions — hopefully with better decision-makers.
First, the Clippers had to move on from Leonard, who reportedly will go back to Toronto for a package that includes Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round selections.
It’s a defibrillator of a deal. One that could keep the Clippers afloat after the NBA hammered them for all the salary-cap-circumventing they apparently did for Leonard, an oft-injured, 35-year-old who flopped even before the NBA blew the whistle on millions of dollars in off-the-books, no-show endorsements.
With the trade finally completed after the Raptors paused it on July 9 as they awaited the results of the NBA’s investigation, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announcing Sunday he will accept the league’s historically steep punishment without further protest, Clippers fans can finally exhale.
Forget the fines and suspensions, most hurtful to fans is the league stripping the Clippers of five first-round draft picks, from 2029 through 2033.
A death sentence? Darn near would be, if not for the Raptors, those suckers — er, that one team whose fans still associate positive feelings with Kawhi.
Remember, Leonard won an NBA title with Toronto in 2019. That was the season before he seemingly started milking the Clippers, who also traded five first-round picks and future league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George — to meet the demands of a guy who wouldn’t lead the Clippers to even one NBA Finals appearance.
At present, the Clippers will have Ingram, Darius Garland, Rui Hachimura and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler on a Tyronn Lue-coached team. They’ll be a competitive regular-season team, as usual.
And the Clippers could have cap room going into the 2027 or 2028 offseasons — not that big stars avail themselves in free agency anymore. These days, the goal is to get traded, retain Bird rights and maximize earnings. If not for Toronto’s first-round picks, the Clippers would have little draft capital to use in trades for impact players.
Now they have some, even if it’s only enough to pursue trades for the disgruntled, the redundant, the overpaid.
The Clippers could offer to take those sorts of players off teams’ hands — if they include future draft assets as sweeteners. Even if it takes the Clippers holding their nose and restocking, there are ways forward, and having the Raptors’ two first-rounders in their pocket will help.
It’s all so Clippers, to have lined up this move that will keep them afloat, just treading water.
Fifteen consecutive seasons of .500 or better ball, y’all! Someone, raise a banner.
The Clippers still don’t have an actual championship banner to decorate the Intuit Dome — and pursuing a title will be harder now, of course.
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers' president of business operations, speaks during a news conference in July 2019. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)
But it will be impossible if the Clippers don’t reset in a meaningful way, if they don’t replace Lawrence Frank, their president of basketball operations, who was among the Clippers’ executives punished by the NBA, with someone with better taste in stars.
Frank is a master of the margins, but the Clippers need a lead executive who can spot it — greatness, not just on the court, but in the locker room, in the community. Someone who will steer Ballmer toward not only elite basketball talent, but players who offer the whole package: leadership, competitiveness, desire, rootability.
The New York Knicks recognized all that in Jalen Brunson. They didn’t care that Becky Hammon and many more of us were skeptical about the prospects of a team that decided to build around a 6-foot-2 guard. And now, look. Brunson just led the Knicks to a championship.
The Clippers were so desperate for a star to pick them, they didn’t pick up on the fact that they already had a budding superstar in their midst. Gilgeous-Alexander played his rookie season with the Clippers and checked all the boxes Leonard wouldn’t. After they traded him to OKC, he worked and blossomed, becoming one of the NBA’s coolest competitors, a two-time league MVP, the undisputed leader of a championship team.
Well, ideally, the professionals being paid to make personnel decisions.
Leonard hadn’t been the leader of either of his San Antonio Spurs or Raptors championship teams. He’d had an angsty breakup with the Spurs. He had a flashing-red injury history. He certainly did not have the personality to siphon any fans from a LeBron James-led Lakers team. And he came apparently asking for way too much!
The Clippers went all-in anyway, and they’ve had nothing but grief to show for it.
Grief and, now, Toronto’s two first-round picks. The question is who will use them, and how?
Some experts suggest Clippers owner Steve Ballmer began building goodwill by apologizing to fans and accepting NBA sanctions on Sunday night. (Jerod Harris / Getty Images )
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his staff had spent the last 12 months loudly insisting they’d done nothing wrong.
The podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” first raised questions about payments star forward Kawhi Leonard received from Aspiration Partners without doing any endorsement work to benefit the company on Sept. 3, 2025. The NBA responded by starting an investigation.
In its findings — released Sept. 2 — an independent law firm reported “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” that benefited Leonard, who received $66 million in cash and equity from four companies through agreements facilitated by Ballmer and team executives at the request of Leonard’s uncle and then-agent. Those deals violated the league salary cap, which limits how much teams can pay players. The cap is $164.961 million for the coming season.
The Clippers released two statements that same day, protesting the finding and the stiffest sanctions in NBA history, including a $30-million fine and the loss of five future first-round draft picks. In addition, Ballmer, 69, was banned from all league activities for the next year.
After immediately calling the NBA’s investigation “biased” and vowing to “vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us,” the Clippers were silent for 11 days.
“I accept responsibility as principal owner,” Ballmer said in a three-paragraph, 172-word statement released by the team. “We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward.”
Mark Francis, an associate teaching professor in sports business at the University of Oregon, said Ballmer’s decision to change course was a smart one — since fighting the penalties would only serve to prolong the scandal in the media, damaging the goodwill Ballmer has built up since buying the team in 2014.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “We’re living in times where people don’t take accountability any more and I was actually impressed that he came out with that.
“Once they acknowledge fault, show some remorse, those kinds of things, then sometimes the penalties will be reduced.”
Daniel Durbin, director of the USC Annenberg Institute of Sports Media and Society, agreed, saying the original pushback “was all lawyer speak” while the decision to accept the penalties was prudent.
“It is a pretty stiff penalty. You’ve got a problem, just pay it off and get rid of it,” Durbin said. “And in a certain respect, Ballmer can pay this and move on. So it may well be for him … it’s not worth it to keep fighting, keep wasting money on that.”
Bloomberg estimates Ballmer’s net worth at $173 billion, making the former Microsoft chief executive the world’s ninth-richest person. He earns $1.2 billion annually from his Microsoft stock dividends alone.
In addition to the loss of draft picks and the fine and suspension levied on Ballmer, the NBA suspended Gillian Zucker, the Clippers president of business operations, for one year without pay and suspended Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, for six months without pay.
Leonard, a seven-time all-star forward and Southern California native, was traded back to the Toronto Raptors this summer. He agreed to pay a $700,000 fine for his role in the Clippers saga and did not contest the sanctions leveled against him but issued a statement of his own in which he placed the blame squarely on the Clippers.
“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” the statement read. “I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.”
The Raptors temporarily froze the Leonard trade after the NBA announced Toronto would inherit any penalties assessed to Leonard following its investigation. With Ballmer accepting the NBA penalties, the trade is now moving forward and the Clippers will receive All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks, building blocks that could help the franchise move forward amid the penalties.
Ballmer’s capitulation may actually be seen as a positive to some Clippers fans, Durbin suggested.
“What did he confess to? Trying to kind of work around the rules to make the Clippers a championship team,” he said. “There’s a certain sense in which to Clippers fans the entire brouhaha is proof that he’s trying really hard. So while yes, he did break the rules … saying that you broke some rules to try to make your team a championship team is not in and of itself something that’s going to drive away the fan base.”
“It’s not a good thing,” Durbin added. “It’s an admission that maybe he went too far. … And he was willing to pay to try to make the team better.”
Francis isn’t so sure.
“I think that’s a stretch,” he said. “To violate the payroll system they have, it’s a serious offense. The owners are the ones that have pushed for these cost controls and they have to live up to them.”
The question now becomes can the Clippers actually become better as they deal with the penalties.
L.A.’s No. 2 NBA team, well behind the Lakers in popularity and success, the Clippers have finished higher than fourth in the Pacific Division standings just once since Ballmer’s first season as owner in 2014-15 and have reached the conference finals only once. The team finished 10th in the division last season, missing the postseason, and it hasn’t advanced beyond the first round of the NBA playoffs since 2021.
But the Lakers are in transition under new ownership and are without LeBron James for the first time since 2018, leaving the Clippers with a narrow window to win over new fans.
“They have to be able to threaten to be a championship team before you can say that they can take advantage of this moment,” Durbin said. “There’s the opportunity theoretically, but it’s really more about how smart they are on the draft picks, how smart they are on building the team.”
Times Sports Editor Iliana Limón Romero and staff writer Mirjam Swanson contributed to this report.
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 18, 2023 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The summer of 2023 was a pivotal one for the Golden State Warriors. After a volatile season started with Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during a preseason practice, the team’s title defense ended with a second-round playoff loss. Poole and Wiggins got contract extensions in the wake of the championship, while Green did not, despite holding a player option for 2023-24. The Warriors ended up severing one branch of their two timelines, shipping Poole and 2022 draft picks Ryan Rollins and Patrick Baldwin, Jr. out of town and adding Chris Paul.
Eventually, the team also gave Green a four-year contract worth $100M, but not without some drama in the negotiations. According to Green, he was ready to join Golden State’s rivals and try his hand and whooping that trick in Memphis before the Dubs upped their offer.
Draymond reflects on the negotiations when he almost left the Warriors and went to the Grizzlies
"In negotiations, you wanna have another team, you have to sometimes make it real to the team that, 'hey you got something else'… I called the Warriors and said 'Yo I'm gonna go to… pic.twitter.com/jJkZowrUCR
Was it a negotiating ploy? Green claims he wasn’t bluffing, and that the Grizzlies had offered $10M more than the Warriors’ original offer. He did need to get his old team to participate in a sign-and-trade to get that extra money, and that’s when the Warriors raised their offer, while also reportedly “moving the goalposts” in trade talks with the Grizzlies, according to Green.
It’s not clear what the Grizzlies would have done to make the money work in such a deal, or when the sign-and-trade talks happened. Memphis eventually traded for Marcus Smart and jettisoned Green’s arch-enemy Dillon Brooks and Green came back to the Warriors for almost the exact same money and years as his previous deal.
The fit in Memphis would have made a lot of sense. Green may have antagonized the fans of Memphis over the years, but he could have complemented Jaren Jackson, Jr. well, essentially playing center defensively so Jackson could roam, block shots, and continue not to get any rebounds. Though Draymond has never been specifically suspended for grit or for grinding, he does have the lunch pail/bully ball/regular bullying attitude that the classic Zach Randolph-Mike Conley-Tony Allen-Marc Gasol Grizzlies teams embraced.
Green’s foray into free agency was similar to what happened with Andre Iguodala in the summer of 2017. Iguodala met with the Houston Rockets, another team the Warriors had recently beaten in the playoffs, and eventually got the Warriors to up their offer to three years and $48M before he came back. Two years later, they’d sacrifice a future first-round pick (which eventually became Bub Carrington) to dump Iggy on the Grizzlies, where he never reported and kicked off a weird one-sided feud from Brooks and his teammates.
Iguodala knew exactly what he was doing, however. After he held out for most of the season, the Grizzlies traded Iguodala to the Miami Heat, who tacked on an extra year to Iguodala’s contract for $15M. He went to his sixth straight NBA Finals that fall and came back to the Warriors in 2021 in time to make it seven Finals in eight years (and four rings). Now he has a venture capital firm, after being an early investor in companies like Zoom, Allbirds, and Casper mattresses.
Would Green’s presence have helped the Grizzlies? They fell off a cliff in 2023-24 thanks to a massive suspension for Ja Morant and injuries to almost the entire roster, including Smart, Desmond Bane, and Steven Adams. Maybe Green could have punched Morant every time he talked about waving a gun around?
Ultimately, Green used the same technique in negotiating with the Warriors that he does in guarding much larger centers in the paint: Leverage. The Grizzlies, the Warriors, and the world of podcasting were never the same.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a three-point shot in the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, June 8, 2026, at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks fans can start making their plans to see the champions.
Single-game tickets at Madison Square Garden officially went on sale Monday in the first of three waves.
Monday’s wave was for participants in the Knicks Fan First program who are Chase cardholders.
All other Knicks Fan First members can begin to make purchases Tuesday.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a 3-point shot in the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, June 8, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Tickets will open to the general public Wednesday.
Tickets for home games after last season’s championship run are dynamically priced.
The Knicks open their season in a highly anticipated showdown with LeBron James and the 76ers at the Garden on Oct. 20, but not before raising their championship banner.
They will feature in 34 nationally televised games — the maximum number allowed.
The Knicks also play in all of the league’s marquee slots, notably hosting the Spurs on Christmas Day.
ESPN Films is set to release a documentary about Steph Curry.
For the last 17 years, Stephen Curry has put together a Hall of Fame career that has marked him as one of the greatest shooters to play the game of basketball.
Now fans have the chance to relive it, plus more. But this time, on the IMAX screen.
On Monday, ESPN Films released a trailer for their latest documentary, “Portrait of an Artist,” which is set to be released in IMAX theaters on October 9.
The official trailer for “Portrait of an Artist: Stephen Curry” exclusively in IMAX October 9
“I’ve been around basketball my whole life. But the more I played, the more I started to see it differently. For me, it’s never just been a game. It’s always felt more like an art.” pic.twitter.com/RyYxAQBe5o
The trailer began with the sound of a basketball being bounced in an empty gym, followed by an aerial view of the skyline district in San Francisco.
Steph Curry attempting to shoot a basketball when he was a child. X/@jinthirty
During the shot, Curry’s voice chimed in and said, “I’ve been around basketball my whole life,” Curry says. “But the more I played. The more I started to see it differently.”
“For me, it’s never just been a game. It always like more like an art.”
After Curry is done speaking, the documentary starts to show clips of Curry from when he was a baby, shooting a basketball for the first time, to clips of him during the present era.
A voice appears in the trailer and says, “We all admire artists; they play so effortlessly.”
Another audio clip emerges and says, “Every great artist has that something, that signature where the world kind of stops and says, ‘Yeah that’s them.”
Steph Curry hitting his iconic “night-night’ celebration in a NBA game against the Boston Celtics. X/@jinthirty
In the later part of the documentary, it highlights some of his lowest of low moments, like injuries he suffered during the early stages of his career.
Steph Curry joined by his family after the Golden State Warriors were crowned NBA champions. @ayeshacurry/instagram
Throughout the trailer, there is a blend of clips throughout it that include musicians like Freddie Mercury of the band Queen, with their iconic performance at “Live Aid” at Wembley Stadium in 1985. It also includes a blend of composers and other musicians playing instruments.
The video ends with Curry saying, “This is what I was meant to do,” followed by famed sports commentator Kevin Harlan saying, “Truly the portrait of an artist. Unbelievable.”
Steve Ballmer’s decision to accept the NBA’s punishment may not be complete surrender.
It could be the Clippers’ only plausible path toward reclaiming some of the five first-round picks stripped from them.
After initially threatening to explore legal remedies, Ballmer suddenly reversed course and announced Sunday that the organization had paid its $30 million fine and would comply with the penalties arising from the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap scandal. Ballmer and business president Gillian Zucker received one-year suspensions, while basketball operations president Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces the 13th pick in the NBA basketball draft on Friday, June 23, 2023, in New York. AP
CBS Sports raised the possibility that cooperation could eventually persuade commissioner Adam Silver to reduce the draft sanctions. The theory rests on one unusually relevant precedent.
In 2000, the NBA stripped Minnesota of five first-round picks after uncovering secret agreements designed to circumvent the salary cap in its dealings with Joe Smith. The Timberwolves initially lost their selections from 2001 through 2005.
Only three picks ultimately disappeared.
The league restored Minnesota’s 2003 selection after owner Glen Taylor accepted his suspension and Kevin McHale agreed to a leave of absence, allowing both sides to abandon a prolonged dispute.
One year later, commissioner David Stern returned the 2005 pick, citing Minnesota’s conduct after the case and the severity of the other penalties.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer sits on the sideline before an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Ryan SunMinnesota Timberwolves team owner Glen Taylor speaks in Minneapolis on Friday, June 6, 2014. Taylor has reached an agreement on his $1.5 billion sale of the club to e-commerce mogul Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez. AP
That history does not create an official appeals process or obligate Silver to show the Clippers similar mercy. Los Angeles was identified as a repeat offender, and its circumstances could become even less sympathetic if continuing scrutiny uncovers additional misconduct.
Ballmer’s statement also accepted responsibility for the disruption without conceding every finding in the NBA report. That distinction could matter if genuine contrition becomes part of Silver’s calculation.
Even one restored selection would be enormously valuable. The Clippers’ own first-rounders from 2029 through 2033 are gone, leaving the unprotected 2031 and 2033 picks acquired in the Leonard trade as essential rebuilding assets.
Fighting the league offered long odds and risked hardening its position. Compliance offers no guarantee of relief.
For a franchise staring at five empty first-round draft slots, however, precedent has cracked open a door that previously appeared sealed.
With Clippers owner/chairman Steve Ballmer (left) and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (right) suspended, the franchise needed new leadership to step up.
Since the NBA officially announced the Clippers’ punishments for circumventing the league’s salary cap rules for star forward Kawhi Leonard, a question came to the forefront of conversations around the league: Who’s going to be running the Clippers’ basketball operations?
With Clippers owner/chairman Steve Ballmer (left) and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (right) suspended, the franchise needed new leadership to step up.
Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round draft picks (2031 and 2033), one first-round draft pick swap (2027) and two second-round picks are coming back to the Clippers for Leonard.
The details of the trade were agreed to in late June, but put on hold on July 9 amidst the NBA’s investigation of the Clippers-Leonard scandal, with the Raptors stating it was going to wait until the league’s investigation was complete since they would’ve assumed the risk for any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Leonard.
But the Clippers still needed leadership to complete the deal and make the calls to get it across the finish line.
That new leadership has emerged in the form of general manager Trent Redden, a longtime Clippers executive who’s moving to the forefront of the Clippers’ front office.
Clippers president Lawrence Frank referred to Trent Redden as an “integral advisor on every major decision and acquisition we’ve made” when Redden was promoted to general manager in 2023. NBAE via Getty Images
The Clippers have yet to name Redden, or anyone else, their interim leader of basketball operations in light of their punishments.
But Redden, who led the Clippers’ communication with the Raptors, as first reported by NBA reporter Jake Fischer, appears to be poised to step into that role for the foreseeable future.
Redden’s route to this opportunity started long before the Clippers’ punishments moved him to the forefront of the franchise’s basketball operations.
A Sacramento native who graduated from Sheldon High School, Redden played for the SMU Mustangs men’s college basketball team during the 2003-04 season and graduated from SMU magna cum laude in 2006.
He started his career as an NBA front office executive with the Cavaliers as an intern before becoming a basketball operations manager and scout for the franchise in 2007.
The Clippers got clarity on their future on Monday by trading Kawhi Leonard back to the Raptors. AP
Redden worked his way up through the organizational hierarchy, being promoted to the director of college player personnel, assistant general manager and eventually being the vice president of basketball operations.
He joined the Clippers as an assistant general manager ahead of the 2018–2019 season before being promoted to general manager in 2023, overseeing scouting, strategy, team operations and building operations.
Mark Hughes, the Clippers senior vice president/assistant general manager, was promoted to his current position at the same time as Redden.
Hughes also moves up the organzational hierarchy in light of the Clippers’ punishments.
“For the past six years, Trent and Mark have been trusted evaluators, dependable leaders, and for me, close confidantes,” Frank said in a statement in June 2023. “A lot of executives have backgrounds in strategy or evaluation. Trent brings expertise and agility in both. Since he joined us, Trent has scoured the globe in search of amateur and pro talent while serving as an integral advisor on every major decision and acquisition we’ve made. He is a respected leader with strong relationships throughout the league, and we’re excited to see him in his new role.”
And after three years in his current role, and nearly two decades as an NBA executive, it’s Redden’s time to take on even bigger responsibilities.
