The Toronto Raptors are running out of room to breathe on the Kawhi Leonard trade, and the delay has started to create a real headache.
For weeks, the team has been stuck in limbo while the league reviewed the Los Angeles Clippers and Leonard. That process wrapped up last week, which was supposed to clear the path for the trade to become official soon after. Instead, more than a week later, nothing has been finalized.
Leaguewide reports still say the deal is expected to go through, and Toronto is operating as if Leonard will be part of the roster. He has already been working out with Raptors players in Miami, and the team can even project a depth chart that includes him. But there is still a big difference between preparing for Leonard and actually having him on the books.
That distinction matters now because the calendar is closing in fast. Raptors Media Day is set for Monday, September 28th, and training camp starts the next day in Quebec City. If the trade still isn’t official by then, Leonard would have to report to Clippers camp.
That would put Toronto in a tough spot. Training camp is where coaches test lineup combinations and the team starts building toward the season, and if Leonard is not there, the Raptors lose valuable time figuring out exactly what they’re getting back in the deal.
The month of July was mostly about waiting for the NBA’s investigation to finish, and that delay didn’t carry much immediate risk for Toronto. If the trade had fallen apart entirely, the Raptors might have lost a shot at another superstar-level target. But once Leonard arrives, that part of the story stops mattering.
This stretch is different. The Raptors have already spent the offseason waiting, and now they are getting close to a point where there may not be any waiting left to do.