Kawhi Leonard’s return to the North will have to wait after the latest news out of Los Angeles today. Despite agreeing to terms on a deal with the Clippers for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and two second-rounders, the deal is currently on hold, pending a conclusion to the NBA’s cap-circumvention investigation.
The scandal has been unresolved for nearly a year now, and it’s anyone’s guess how the NBA will respond. If found guilty, however, the punishments could include fines, suspensions, or even the forfeiture of draft picks. The catch is that the penalties would only apply to the team Kawhi is on at the time, meaning the Raptors would be taking a major risk bringing him in. That’s why the deal is off until the Clippers are cleared.
“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. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency,” wrote the Clippers in a statement. “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 investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.”
On the surface, the evidence appears damning for the Clippers. Aspiration, which was exposed as a fraudulent tree-planting company, gave Kawhi Leonard a highly suspicious no-show contract, which many suspect was actually a front to pay him millions under the table (without counting against the cap). All the while, the company was being bankrolled by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who was caught “investing” a small fortune into the company shortly before one of Leonard’s payments.
Still, despite the paper trail, the Clippers continue to maintain their innocence. From the very start, they’ve pinned all the blame on the Aspiration company itself, specifically its co-founder, Joe Sanberg. They are claiming to be the victims of fraud, and seem confident that the Kawhi trade will eventually go through.
“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison,” the Clippers added. “We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues. We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”
With averages of 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 50.5% shooting and 38.7% shooting from three last season, Kawhi is coming off one of the best stretches of his career, and his impact with the Raptors would be legendary. But with so much baggage and the risk of penalties taking him on, it doesn’t make sense to add him right now.
Instead, the Raptors will bide their time and let the process play out before they finalize the trade. With so much at stake, they cannot afford to get caught up in a scandal that is not their doing, even if it means putting off the acquisition of a two-time NBA champion.
