TORONTO — The Kawhi Leonard trade to Raptors could be back on track after the NBA concluded its probe into salary cap circumvention during the seven-time All-Star’s tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers.
On Wednesday, the league levied major penalties against the Clippers for violating cap circumvention rules, including a one-year suspension for team owner Steve Ballmer, a $30 million fine, the loss of five first-round draft picks, and a $700,000 fine for Leonard, according to the NBA.
Leonard was not suspended from game action, prompting fresh speculation about the next steps for the two-time Finals MVP and a potential return to Canada.
Kawhi Leonard trade to Raptors remains in play
The Raptors and Clippers reached agreement on June 30 on a deal to send Leonard back to Toronto, where he led the franchise to the 2019 NBA title. Toronto agreed to trade Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and pick swaps to Los Angeles.
In July, the transaction was placed on hold pending the league’s investigation. The Raptors have declined to comment on the status of the acquisition following Wednesday’s disciplinary announcement.
Leonard, 35, is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points over 65 games with the Clippers last year. A seven-time All-NBA selection and two-time champion, he also won the 2014 title with San Antonio and is widely regarded as one of the league’s elite defenders.
If finalized, Leonard would join a Toronto core featuring two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes, Canadian standout RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and rising prospect Collin Murray-Boyles.
The Raptors finished 46-36 in 2025-26 and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games before falling in the first round, marking the club’s first postseason appearance in four years.
This summer, Toronto signed general manager Bobby Webster to a multiyear extension and elevated him to executive vice president, and also reached a multiyear extension with head coach Darko Rajakovic.
Leonard attended Kyle Lowry’s July 7 news conference in Toronto, where Lowry announced his retirement as a member of the Raptors. On July 10, Ingram was seen at a Clippers Summer League game in Las Vegas.
The NBA opened its investigation in September 2025 into whether a $28 million endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, which filed for bankruptcy last year, violated 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 admitting to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.
For more on how roster moves can reshape expectations on the field, see our coverage of 2026 Fantasy football rankings: Busts and risky picks flagged.
