Usually, a calm hovers above the league the month after the start of free agency. NBA trades during the offseason are commonplace. Yet, when it pertains to elite players, complications can arise. Kawhi Leonard is no different.
The seven-time All-Star, after seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, was traded back to Canada to play for the Toronto Raptors. However, recent developments look to derail completion of the transaction. The two-time champion offered his reaction to the recent events and his plan for the future.
Kawhi Leonard Believes Trade to Raptors Will Happen, Asserts Insider
This fall, Leonard will begin his 15th NBA season. With the National Basketball Hall of Fame almost a certainty, the small forward looks to add to his sterling resume. As mentioned, the Clippers and Raptors agreed on a trade; however, a recent investigation surrounds how the franchise may have circumvented the salary cap to sign him.
However, NBA insider Jake Fischer believes Leonard is confident the investigation will not be a hurdle to where he lands.
“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,” Fischer wrote on X.
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: https://t.co/9y6rOaHRpU
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) August 10, 2026
Former ESPN commentator Pablo Torre launched an investigation that centered on Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Torre alleges that the Clippers gave Leonard a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal to circumvent the salary cap.
In essence, Torre mentioned Daktronics, the company that built the scoreboard in the Intuit Dome. According to Torre’s investigation, Daktronics was the second company the Clippers tried to use to circumvent the salary cap to pay Leonard.
Last year, Aspiration, an environmental company, was accused of offering Leonard the equivalent of a “no-show” job, payment for a job that doesn’t really exist on paper.
As of this writing, the trade is in limbo until the NBA’s investigation into the matter ends. However, if Leonrad ends up in Toronto, the scene of his last NBA championship, it doesn’t mean the matter is closed. The league could still levy severe penalties on Ballmer and the Clippers for their roles in the matter.
While it doesn’t appear the Raptors are guilty of wrongdoing, the league could seek to make an example of Ballmer. If the investigation does not end in the Clippers’ favor, how harshly will NBA Commissioner Adam Silver come down on the team, and how will that affect how people view Leonard?
