Completion of the NBA's investigation of the Clippers could facilitate Leonard trade to the Raptors

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors could be back on now that there’s a resolution to the NBA’s investigation into salary cap circumvention rules during the seven-time All-Star’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers.

On Wednesday, the NBA imposed a sweeping punishment against the Clippers for violating salary cap circumvention rules, including suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million, forcing the organization to forfeit five first-round draft picks and fining Leonard $700,000.

Leonard was not suspended for any games, raising questions about what's next for the two-time NBA Finals MVP.

The Raptors and Clippers struck a deal on June 30 on a trade that would send Leonard back to the team he helped lead to the 2019 NBA championship. The Raptors agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and pick swaps to the Clippers.

In July, the trade was put on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation.

The Raptors have declined to comment on the status of the deal to acquire Leonard now that the league has announced the fallout from its investigation.

Leonard, 35, is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points while playing 65 games last year with the Clippers.

A seven-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA champion, Leonard is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He also won the 2014 NBA title with San Antonio.

In Toronto, Leonard would join a roster led by two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes, Canadian star RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and talented youngster Collin Murray-Boyles.

The Raptors finished 46-36 in 2025-26 and took the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in a first-round playoff series defeat. It was Toronto’s first playoff appearance in four years.

So far this summer, the Raptors have signed general manager Bobby Webster to a multiyear contract extension and promoted him to executive vice president, and agreed to a multiyear extension with coach Darko Rajakovic.

On July 7, Leonard was in the front row at Kyle Lowry’s Toronto news conference when Lowry announced he was retiring as a member of the Raptors. Ingram attended a Clippers Summer League game in Las Vegas on July 10.

The NBA began investigating in September 2025 whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy last year — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. Earlier this year, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.

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