Less than two weeks ago, the Dallas Mavericks were reportedly in trade discussions with the Clippers about Kawhi Leonard. At the time, it already felt like a strange fit for Dallas. Now, with the latest update on the deal, it looks even better that the Mavericks never pushed it over the line.
The Clippers-Raptors trade centered on Leonard will not be completed until the NBA investigation into the Clippers is finished. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the hold-up, and the Clippers said in a statement that, “For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA…”
That investigation has been hanging over Los Angeles for months after allegations that the team circumvented the salary cap by paying Leonard money through his previous endorsement deal with Aspiration. The outcome is still unknown, which is exactly why the trade became such a complicated situation in the first place.
According to Charania, the Raptors were told by the league that they would “assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation about Kawhi.” Toronto understandably does not want to be left holding the bag for something it had no part in, so the team wants to wait until the probe is resolved before moving forward.
That means Dallas could have been sitting in the Raptors’ spot right now, waiting to find out whether Leonard would actually end up in uniform over a week after the trade was first agreed to.
For Toronto, the worst-case scenario is that the deal could collapse if the investigation goes badly for LA. Even then, there’s a case to be made that the Raptors would be better off, considering Leonard is 35 and has an injury history. But Toronto clearly felt the move was worth making anyway.
Dallas can’t say the same. Giving up draft assets for an aging, frequently injured star doesn’t exactly fit the idea of building around Cooper Flagg.
Most Mavericks fans probably already knew the team was wise to walk away. After this update, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
And there’s another layer to it: imagine the mess of trying to bring back the players you thought you had traded away. Toronto may have to deal with that if the deal falls apart entirely and Brandon Ingram is back in the picture. That kind of awkwardness is exactly what Dallas avoided.
In the end, Ujiri and Masai made the safer call by not getting tied to a trade with Los Angeles. Sometimes the smartest move is the one you don’t make.
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