There has been a curious delay in the formal announcement of the Kawhi Leonard trade that is shipping him to the Toronto Raptors. Now, the teams involved are clarifying why.
Although the new NBA league year began Monday, July 6, neither the Raptors nor the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard’s former team, have consummated the trade agreed to June 30 that is conveying Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-round picks back to Los Angeles.
On Thursday, July 9, the Clippers and Raptors each issued statements to disclose the delay, indicating the deal would not be completed until the ongoing NBA investigation into the Clippers is finalized.
“On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors,” the Clippers said in their statement. “We have since been informed that the trade can only be finalized if the Raptors’ ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi’s contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.”
In their own statement, the Raptors acknowledged this assumption of risk and indicated that they will also wait until the league’s investigation is complete.
“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans,” the Raptors said.
In spite of the optimism from both sides that the deal would be executed upon the conclusion of the investigation, which began in early September 2025, the language in Toronto’s statement suggests that it could change its mind if it deems any potential discipline stemming from the investigation to be too severe.
The NBA has contracted a New York City-based law firm to look into allegations that the franchise circumvented the salary cap when it courted Leonard in 2019. The investigation revolves around an alleged $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal for Leonard with a now-bankrupt sustainability company called Aspiration.
The Clippers have repeatedly maintained their innocence in the matter and have stressed that the executives running Aspiration were at fault.
“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration,” the Clippers continued. “We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.”
Leonard, 35, remains one of the elite two-way players in the NBA, when healthy. A seven-time All-Star, Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 65 games last season. He’s also a versatile defender whose length and instincts make him a problem, even for the more gifted offensive players in the NBA.
“We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues,” the Clippers concluded. “We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kawhi Leonard trade from Clippers to Raptors stalls over NBA investigation
