LA Clippers trade delay fuels speculation
The LA Clippers still have not completed their agreed-upon Kawhi Leonard trade following the NBA penalties announced on September 2, 2026. Some league observers have wondered whether Los Angeles could reconsider the transaction, although reporting continues to indicate that the deal is expected to proceed.
Toronto and Leonard’s representatives reportedly remain confident that the agreement will be completed. Leonard was required to pay the NBA $700,000, but was not suspended, and his contract was not voided. Front-office restructuring following multiple Clippers leadership suspensions is the reported primary reason for the delay.
LA Clippers lose five first round picks
The NBA penalized the Clippers after an independent investigation found that Leonard and the organization violated salary-cap circumvention rules. Los Angeles received a $30 million fine and must forfeit five future first-round draft selections.
Those picks are scheduled for 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033. The NBA also placed the Clippers organization and personnel under a league-supervised compliance and monitoring program for five years.
Toronto Raptors agreed to Leonard trade
Toronto and Los Angeles agreed on June 30 to a trade sending Leonard back to the Raptors. The return included Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and one swap.
The deal remained on hold because Toronto wanted the NBA investigation completed before finalization. The Raptors accepted that any league outcome affecting Leonard could transfer once the transaction received official approval.
LA Clippers delay continues after ruling
The NBA completed its disciplinary process on September 2, removing the unresolved investigation as Toronto’s original reason for pausing the trade. More than one week later, the transaction remained unsubmitted for approval.
Front-office restructuring after multiple leadership suspensions emerged as the primary explanation for the delay. Separate league speculation questioned whether Los Angeles might reconsider the previously agreed trade involving Leonard entirely.
Toronto Raptors still want Leonard
Toronto reportedly remains committed to completing the Leonard deal despite the continuing delay. The Raptors, Leonard’s representatives and other parties involved remain confident that the transaction will eventually be completed.
Leonard has expressed interest in remaining with Toronto beyond the final year of his current contract. He attended a player-organized Raptors minicamp in Miami in September but was restricted to individual workouts because the trade was not official. Completing the transaction would reunite him with the franchise he led to the 2019 NBA championship.
Kawhi Leonard receives $700,000 penalty
The NBA required Leonard to pay the league $700,000 for his role in the salary cap circumvention violations. He was not suspended, and the league did not void his contract.
The NBA found that Leonard, through then-business manager Dennis Robertson, pressured the Clippers for off-court income opportunities and failed to reimburse Los Angeles for personal expenses it had improperly paid for him and his representatives.
Steve Ballmer receives one year suspension
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension from all NBA and team activities. The NBA said Ballmer knowingly sought to help Leonard obtain off-court income and approved a business arrangement that was a precondition for Aspiration to enter an endorsement agreement with Leonard.
The Clippers rejected the NBA’s findings and vowed to challenge the penalties through every available avenue. The league based its determination on evidence developed during an independent investigation conducted by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
Clippers executives receive suspensions
President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker received a one-year unpaid suspension. The NBA said she was primarily responsible for impermissible endorsement arrangements and provided false and misleading statements to investigators.
President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month unpaid suspension. The league cited his involvement with endorsement arrangements and approval of impermissible expenses incurred by Leonard and family members.
LA Clippers linked Leonard to four firms
The NBA investigation found that the Clippers initiated off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies that do business with the team. Those companies were Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton.
Investigators found that Los Angeles facilitated endorsement agreements and induced companies to participate by offering team business. The NBA also cited personal expenses for Leonard and unreported off-court income solicitations.
Kawhi Leonard’s Aspiration deal was larger
Leonard’s Aspiration arrangements became central to the investigation because the company maintained a major business relationship with the Clippers. Earlier reporting focused on a $28 million endorsement agreement involving Leonard.
The NBA investigation later described an Aspiration arrangement designed to provide Leonard $48 million over four years. Findings described $7 million in annual cash and $5 million in annual equity.
Fun fact: Leonard’s famous 2019 Game 7 winner bounced on the rim four times before dropping, turning one basketball shot into several seconds of collective panic.
Kawhi Leonard posted career best scoring
Leonard is coming off the highest-scoring regular season of his NBA career. He averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 65 appearances for the Clippers during the 2025-26 season.
Leonard is 35 and previously spent the 2018-19 season with Toronto. He led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship and earned NBA Finals MVP honors.
LA Clippers trade package gained value
The Clippers were set to receive future assets in the Toronto trade before losing five first-round draft picks due to NBA discipline. The agreed package included first-round selections in 2031 and 2033.
That return also included Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, giving Los Angeles established players in addition to future picks. The unresolved transaction affects the Clippers roster and Toronto’s plan to reacquire Leonard.
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LA Clippers face federal investigation
Federal prosecutors are investigating the Clippers’ dealings involving Leonard. The inquiry is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, which reportedly issued at least one subpoena before the NBA announced its penalties.
As of September 14, Leonard remains a Clippers player, and the reported Toronto trade has not been completed. The NBA says its penalties are final and binding, while the Clippers dispute the findings and have vowed to pursue available legal remedies.
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Would you rather see Toronto complete the Kawhi Leonard trade, or would you prefer Los Angeles keep him after losing major draft assets? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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