TORONTO \u2013 Never a dull moment.<\/p>\n
The Kawhi Leonard<\/a> trade, which was agreed to in principle last week, still hasn\u2019t been made official and now we know why.<\/p>\n After sending shockwaves around the NBA, the deal that reunited the 2019 Finals MVP with the Toronto Raptors<\/a> is in limbo, on hold until the league concludes its ongoing investigation into allegations surrounding Leonard and his (maybe) former team the Los Angeles Clippers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe league office informed us that as a result of the ongoing investigation involving the Clippers, we would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi,\u201d the Raptors said in a team statement issued Thursday afternoon. \u201cIn light of this, we will wait until the league\u2019s investigation is complete. The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion,\u201d the Clippers stated in their statement, while also maintaining their innocence.<\/p>\n Here are some frequently asked questions that could help make some sense of this unprecedented and very unusual situation.<\/p>\n What is the NBA investigating, again?<\/p>\n For the past 10 months, the league has been looking into claims that the Clippers illegally compensated Leonard outside of the league\u2019s salary cap. It was last September when journalist Pablo Torre first drew connections between the four-year, $176.3 million maximum contract extension that Leonard signed with L.A. in 2021 and an alleged $28 million no-show marketing deal he inked with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental company that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested in.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s found that the Clippers used the endorsement deal to funnel money to Leonard, paying him more than the league\u2019s collective bargaining agreement allows for, that would be considered salary cap circumvention. It\u2019s an offence that\u2019s difficult to prove, but one the NBA takes very seriously, hence the lengthy and thorough investigation. Ballmer and the Clippers have denied any wrongdoing, insisting that they had been defrauded by Aspiration, like many others were.<\/p>\n Why are the Raptors at risk of being penalized for something they weren\u2019t involved in?<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that this investigation is pertaining to the extension Leonard signed with the Clippers in 2021, a couple years after he left the Raptors.<\/p>\n Toronto believed that the Clippers violated the NBA\u2019s anti-tampering rules in their recruitment of Leonard throughout the 2018-19 campaign, while he was still under contract with the Raptors. In May of 2019, L.A. was fined $50,000 for then head coach Doc Rivers\u2019 comments, publicly comparing Leonard to Michael Jordan \u2013 a slap on the wrist for a minor infraction. The rest of Toronto\u2019s claims were investigated by the league and dismissed. Whether the Clippers bent the rules in their recruitment and subsequent signing of Leonard in 2019, as some suspected at the time, that\u2019s not relevant in this case.<\/p>\n The Raptors are not involved in this particular investigation, so why would they be assuming any risk by completing the trade? The wording of their statement is a bit misleading, in the sense that they wouldn\u2019t be on the hook for any direct punishment stemming from the result of this investigation. The Clippers would assume the penalty, if they\u2019re found guilty \u2013 fines, forfeited draft picks, and whatever the league decides to throw at them. Naturally, if the Raptors are acquiring Leonard \u2013 who is implicated \u2013 then they would inherit any possible penalty that he incurs, such as a suspension or, in the unlikely but worst-case scenario, voiding his contract.<\/p>\n By all accounts, that\u2019s a scenario the NBA would prefer to avoid, regardless of how the investigation shakes out. For one, it would be a mess. Brandon Ingram<\/a> and Gradey Dick<\/a> would return to the Raptors, along with the team\u2019s draft capitol. Leonard would presumably become an unrestricted free agent, where he could theoretically sign with Toronto for the taxpayer mid-level exception, roughly $6 million or about $44 million less than he\u2019s supposed to earn this season. Technically, if he\u2019s willing to sign for the minimum (which isn\u2019t much less than that), he could go anywhere: San Antonio, Miami, Oklahoma City, wherever. What would that mean for competitive balance across the league?<\/p>\n Mostly, though, the contract that is under investigation has long since expired. It\u2019s hard to see any potential discipline impacting Leonard\u2019s current deal, which was signed in 2024.<\/p>\n What are the Raptors missing out on in the meantime?<\/p>\n Fortunately, the opportunity cost of waiting this out is minimal. If and when the trade goes through, Toronto will be hard capped at the first apron, a threshold they\u2019re already nearing with at least one more regular roster spot to fill. In other words, barring another trade, their offseason work is all but done.<\/p>\n Even if they didn\u2019t make the trade, with Ingram and Dick on the books, they were already hovering around the luxury tax line and wouldn\u2019t have been major players in free agency. It still would have been difficult to cobble together enough space to retain Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/a>, who got $52 million over four years from the Lakers. Kyle Anderson<\/a>, who they signed to the veteran minimum, is a former teammate of Leonard\u2019s, but also somebody they\u2019ve had eyes on before and fits their preferred style of play.<\/p>\n Would they have pulled the trigger on something else if Leonard was deemed off limits? Maybe, but probably not. They had real interest in LaMelo Bell before he was sent to Minnesota. According to league sources, their interest in Jaylen Brown<\/a> and Ja Morant<\/a> was low, even at deflated costs. They\u2019re an opportunistic team that felt, and still feel, strongly this was the right opportunity. <\/p>\n Will the trade end up happening?<\/p>\n In all likelihood, yes.<\/p>\n Both teams appear highly motivated to complete the trade and move forward, albeit in different directions. While their reunion once seemed improbable, the Raptors are looking forward to adding the veteran superstar and proven champion to a young and feisty team that exceeded expectations a year ago. Assuming Leonard is in good health, they figure to be instant contenders in an improving Eastern Conference. The Clippers are happy to be restocking their depleted collection of draft picks, which should help them rebuild their roster around younger players. They did well in getting Toronto to (reluctantly) include a pair of unprotected first rounders in the 2030s.<\/p>\n