The Clippers’ decision to stop fighting the NBA’s punishment has opened the door just a little wider on one lingering question: does the Kawhi Leonard deal with the Raptors ever get back on the table?
That’s still unresolved, even after the league’s investigation wrapped and Steve Ballmer chose not to challenge the penalties. Ballmer had initially been prepared to push back, but instead accepted the punishment and apologized in a statement that said, “This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets. I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner,”
The fallout was significant. Ballmer was suspended by the NBA for a year and fined $30 million, which he said was already paid.
Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, received a six-month suspension without pay. Gillian Zucker, the president of business operations, was also suspended for a year.
And yet, the trade angle hasn’t disappeared.
Before the investigation was finished, the Clippers and Raptors reportedly had a deal in place early in the offseason, only for it to be halted. The reported return going to Los Angeles included Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and future draft compensation in exchange for Leonard. The league has reportedly said it has no control over that stopped deal, and that both teams would be free to renegotiate if they wanted to.
Toronto, according to the reporting, is willing to reopen communication. The problem is on the Clippers’ side. With Ballmer and Frank both suspended, it’s unclear who would handle front office business right away, and that creates a real obstacle to getting anything finalized.
NBA insider Jake Fischer put it bluntly on X: “I would not read Steve Ballmer accepting the NBA’s investigation findings and penalties as any indicator the trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors will be completed imminently,”
He added, “Still sounds like the Clippers’ aren’t quite ready to get back on the phone with Toronto, even though, as @TheSteinLine reported, the NBA league office would process a trade call without an interim governor in place,”
Leonard was only lightly punished in the broader mess, while his uncle, Dennis Robertson, took the brunt of the discipline. And with the 2026-2027 season getting closer, there’s still at least a sliver of a chance this deal could finally move forward.
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For the Raptors, the return is significant not just because it reopens a familiar chapter, but because it reshapes the roster in a major way. The Clippers are sending back Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks, a haul that shows just how much was at stake while the league sorted through the case behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]