The Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto may finally be nearing the finish line, with a source close to Leonard telling Sam Amick and Matt Schubert of The Athletic that he expects the deal to be finalized “in the coming days.”
That would mark a major step after the trade sat in limbo for weeks. The Clippers and Raptors agreed to the deal in late June, but Toronto put everything on hold July 9 because of uncertainty around the league’s investigation.
The concern was that Leonard could face a suspension or even have his contract voided. Instead, he received a much lighter penalty: a $700K payment to the league, with no impact on his playing status.
If the agreement goes through in its current form, the Clippers would send Leonard to the Raptors in a package that includes Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Toronto’s unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a first-round pick swap in 2027 and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033. Those draft assets carry extra weight for L.A. after the league stripped the team of five first-round picks in its punishment.
Not everyone around the situation sounds convinced it’s about to get done. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said the deal is not necessarily close to being completed “imminently,” adding that the Clippers still aren’t prepared to do major business while they sort out their front office. That process has been complicated by the suspensions of Ballmer, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and president of business operations Gillian Zucker.
As of Sunday night, the Clippers still had not chosen who would serve as interim governor, even with the league’s Board of Governors set to begin a two-day meeting in New York City on Monday. Fischer also confirmed a weekend report that the NBA is willing to process a trade call on the Leonard deal even if an interim governor has not yet been named.
The backdrop here is a year-long investigation by the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz law firm, which found that the Clippers helped Leonard land a $28 million no-show contract with Aspiration along with similar arrangements with three other companies. Ballmer first blasted the findings as a “ witch hunt ” and said he would fight the penalties, but his tone changed in a statement released late Sunday night, when he offered “sincere regrets” and accepted responsibility as principal owner.
In Other News...
Clippers Finally End A Damaging Saga With Serious Fallout Ahead
The Clippers have finally reached the point where the off-court drama has turned into a settled punishment, with the NBAs investigation into salary cap circumvention now producing real consequences for the franchise. Along with the leagues ruling, team owner Steve Ballmer issued a statement apologizing for how the matter unfolded and stressing his commitment to the organizations future, a notable step after a stretch of uncertainty that had lingered over the club.
What comes next is the part the Clippers cant avoid: the fallout will touch both the front office and the team-building pipeline, with discipline handed down across multiple levels of the organization. Ballmers statement suggested a desire to move on, even as he acknowledged disagreement with parts of the leagues findings, but the larger question is how much damage this episode leaves behind and how quickly the Clippers can put it in the rearview mirror. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Face Serious New Kawhi Spotlight With Much Bigger Stakes
The Clippers are already dealing with the kind of outside noise that can hang over a franchise for a long time, and the latest development raises the stakes well beyond a standard league review. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York have opened a criminal inquiry into the club over allegations tied to endorsement arrangements involving Kawhi Leonard, turning a familiar basketball controversy into something far more serious for a team that has spent years trying to build around him.
Unlike an NBA probe, a federal investigation brings a different level of reach, with the government able to compel evidence and testimony in ways the league cannot. It also means the consequences could stretch well beyond fines or public embarrassment if the Clippers do not cooperate, making this a story with legal and organizational implications that could linger well into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Just Became Part Of A Brutal NBA Warning Story
The Clippers have spent years trying to build their own identity in Los Angeles, but the larger shadow has never really gone away. On a recent discussion, NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon tied that dynamic to another cross-town rivalry, comparing the Clippers battle for relevance with the Lakers to the Nets place opposite the Knicks, and suggesting it has long shaped how the franchise has operated.
The bigger concern, as Joey Linn noted, is how that pressure can warp decision-making. The Clippers have already taken major swings in pursuit of a breakthrough, including the moves for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and the warning here is that an inferiority complex can lead a front office into territory it might not otherwise consider. For a team still trying to prove it can stand on its own in its own market, that is a problem with real consequences. [Read more 🡒]