The Toronto Raptors have put their trade for Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation of Leonard and the Clippers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania:
The LA Clippers-Toronto Raptors trade centered around Kawhi Leonard will not be completed until the NBA investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap is completed, the team announced Thursday.
The Clippers and Raptors agreed to a trade on June 30 that would send the All-NBA
forward to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round picks, sources told ESPN.
The Clippers, in a statement to ESPN on Thursday, said 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 Raptors, meanwhile, issued their own statement saying they would wait for the league’s findings rather than assuming that risk, but they “remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans.”
The Clippers are being investigated for possible salary cap circumvention related to endorsement-related payments made to Leonard from a tree planting company that was in part funded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, allegedly with intent to pay Leonard more than NBA salary cap rules would have allowed.
The investigation – originally spurred by reporting from Pablo Torre of Pablo Torre Finds Out – has been ongoing since September of 2025 and has no definitive end date.
