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Kawhi Leonard’s blockbuster return to the Raptors is on hold after the NBA delayed approval of the trade while investigating alleged salary-cap violations involving the Clippers.
LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (AP)
Kawhi Leonard’s long-awaited return to Toronto will have to wait.
The blockbuster trade that would have reunited the two-time NBA Finals MVP with the Raptors has been put on hold while the NBA continues its investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers violated salary-cap rules during Leonard’s free-agency signing in 2019.
The league launched its probe in September 2025 after allegations surfaced that the Clippers used financial services company Aspiration to funnel Leonard $28 million through what has been described as a “no-show job.” According to the allegations, Leonard was not required to perform any work, raising concerns that the arrangement may have been used to circumvent NBA salary-cap regulations by increasing his overall compensation.
Although the Raptors and Clippers reached an agreement in principle on June 30, the NBA informed Toronto that completing the trade would mean assuming the risk of any future penalties tied to Leonard’s contract.
“In light of this, we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete,” the Raptors said in a statement.
The Clippers also confirmed the trade remains on hold but insisted they expect it to be completed once the investigation concludes.
“For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation, participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff,” the Clippers said.
“On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. We have since been informed that the trade can only be finalized if the Raptors’ ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi’s contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation.”
The franchise again denied any wrongdoing, claiming it never routed money to Leonard through Aspiration.
“Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Joe Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison,” the statement added.
According to ESPNboth franchises still expect the trade to go through, with any eventual punishment likely limited to financial penalties and the loss of draft picks.
The proposed deal would send Leonard back to the franchise he led to its only NBA championship in 2019. Toronto would part with All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a pick swap and two second-round selections.
Leonard, who turned 35 this week, enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in Raptors history during his lone campaign in Toronto, averaging 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds before leading the franchise to the 2019 NBA title.
Despite recurring injuries during his seven seasons with the Clippers, he is coming off one of the best campaigns of his career, averaging a personal-best 27.9 points while finishing seventh in MVP voting.
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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