Clippers-Raptors trade involving Kawhi Leonard on hold amid probeESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsJul 9, 2026, 03:31 PM ET
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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 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, stated 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.”
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The Raptors, meanwhile, issued their own statement saying 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 NBA’s investigation into the Clippers is focused on whether they circumvented the salary cap by funneling money to Leonard through his $28 million endorsement deal with green banking company Aspiration, which also had a $300 million, 23-year endorsement deal with the team. Team owner Steve Ballmer, who invested $60 million in Aspiration, has denied he had knowledge of Leonard’s deal.
Leonard and his uncle and business adviser Dennis Robertson have been interviewed by investigators as part of the league’s inquiry, sources told ESPN.
The Clippers on Thursday again stated that they “did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration” and that “we were victims of a fraud initiated by [Joe] Sanberg.”
Sanberg has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years of prison.
“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,” the Clippers stated in their statement. “We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have stated from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”
Leonard, who turned 35 earlier this month, is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games. He is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP (winning in 2019 with Toronto and 2014 with San Antonio) and is generally considered one of the game’s top defensive players.
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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