The Clippers agreed on June 30 to trade Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft picks. But the deal is on hold after the Raptors learned they would be taking on the risk for any penalties that Leonard might face -- such as a possible suspension or his contract being voided -- as a result of the investigation. Leonard and his agent and business attorney, Harrison Gaines, have had conversations with the players union over the last few weeks, and there has been no indication that he will face a voided contract, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks. Leonard and the Raptors are both operating as though the trade will be completed and reunite him with Toronto, according to team sources.
More on Kawhi Leonard: Recent HoopsHype Rumors
APHoops: New emails leaked by Pablo Torre show that the Clippers marketing team attempted to get Kawhi Leonard and Uncle Dennis connected with Daktronics to do an activation and sign autographs to legitimize the partnership. — 8/14/2026 x.com
Pablo Torre Finds Out: EXCLUSIVE: How involved were the Clippers in Kawhi Leonard's hidden side deals? Per internal emails obtained by @PabloTorre, the team repeatedly prodded its scoreboard-maker to schedule "activations" with "KL" in 2021. Daktronics exec wrote back: "Thanks for the reminder! Go Clippers!" Exec wrote back: "Thanks for the reminder! Go — 8/14/2026 x.com
Pablo Torre Finds Out: “If you're trying to make sure that you're not circumventing the cap, allegedly, you need to make sure there's a trail of Kawhi actually doing stuff." — @DavidPSamson and @PabloTorre follow Kawhi Leonard's paper trail from the Clippers to Daktronics to the NBA's investigation — 8/14/2026 x.com
Pablo Torre: Steve Ballmer claimed Kawhi’s hidden, no-show Aspiration sponsorship was “independent” from the Clippers. But months before that, in 2021, the Clippers were repeatedly prodding Daktronics — who also had a hidden sponsorship deal with Kawhi — to ask him to do something, anything: — 8/14/2026 x.com
Fullcourtpass: The Warriors were really into trading for Kawhi Leonard at the deadline but less interested this summer due to his looming contract extension and Kawhi clearly wanted to direct himself to Toronto, per @anthonyVslater — 8/13/2026 x.com
APHoops: Peyton Watson’s sign-and-trade market may be on hold as the Clippers await a conclusion to the Kawhi Leonard investigation, with one potential scenario allowing LA to expand the Leonard trade to acquire Watson without sending salary back to Denver, per @JakeLFischer. — 8/11/2026 x.com
Sportsnet: Kawhi Leonard makes his way to watch the women’s quarterfinal at the National Bank Open in Toronto? ?: #NBO26 live on SN360 ?: Stream on Sportsnet+ — 8/11/2026 x.com
Jake Fischer: Kawhi Leonard is working under the belief the NBA’s ongoing investigation will conclude before the start of training camp, sources say, and that the seven-time All-Star remains on course to join the Toronto Raptors. More @TheSteinLine: tinyurl.com/khkawx3h — 8/10/2026 Twitter @JakeLFischer
Sources add that the Clippers, meanwhile, are prepared to go to arbitration depending on the severity of the potential penalties that the league office could order after digesting the investigation's complete findings. — 8/10/2026 marcstein.substack.com
Sources say that Leonard's agent, Harrison Gaines, has maintained frequent contact with the NBA Players Association while the firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz — which was hired by the league office last September — proceeds with an investigation that has consumed 11 months. And Leonard, sources say, strongly believes that the trade will ultimately go through, enabling him to rejoin the Raptors in time for training camp. The trade was agreed to, sources say, with the idea that the 35-year-old would also negotiate a multiyear extension with Toronto to extend the reunion beyond the coming season. — 8/10/2026 marcstein.substack.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Kawhi Leonard has gotten no indication he will face voided contract; Leonard and Raptors operating as if trade to Toronto will be completed
