{"id":895179,"date":"2026-09-14T07:56:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/895179\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T07:56:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:56:19","slug":"raptors-get-bad-news-about-kawhi-trade-with-the-clippers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/895179\/","title":{"rendered":"Raptors Get Bad News About Kawhi Trade With The Clippers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

TORONTO, ONTARIO – MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors reacts against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter during Game One of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on May 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Toronto Raptors<\/a> could be waiting a little longer to officially onboard Kawhi Leonard<\/a> to the team for the upcoming 2026-2027 NBA season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to NBA<\/a> insider Jake Fischer, the Los Angeles Clippers have yet to determine who will be the team\u2019s interim governor, who would oversee the front office operations, including trades.<\/p>\n

This comes after the Clippers front office faces suspensions from the NBA, such as billionaire team owner Steve Ballmer, who has been banned from all league and team activities for one year; President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker has been suspended without pay for one year; and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month suspension without pay.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Clippers still haven\u2019t determined who will serve as the franchise\u2019s interim governor, I\u2019m told, as the league convenes its Board of Governors meetings in New York City tomorrow,\u201d Fischer posted on X. \u201cSteve Ballmer will not attend while he accepts the NBA\u2019s suspension and other penalties.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Clippers still haven\u2019t determined who will serve as the franchise\u2019s interim governor, I\u2019m told, as the league convenes its Board of Governors meetings in New York City tomorrow. Steve Ballmer will not attend while he accepts the NBA\u2019s suspension and other penalties. https:\/\/t.co\/WTuIjowFXv<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) September 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Kawhi Leonard Move To Raptors Remains in Limbo
\n\"SanGettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA \u2013 APRIL 02: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers on court against the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> in the second half at Intuit Dome on April 02, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Kawhi Leonard trade to the Raptors remained unofficial nearly two weeks after the NBA revealed its punishment to the Clippers following the salary cap circumvention scandal involving Leonard, his business associates, external companies tied to the Clippers, and the team\u2019s front office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The teams agreed to the trade two months ago, while the NBA was still investigating the scandal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the original agreed-upon trade framework, the Raptors will receive Leonard in exchange for Brandon Ingram<\/a>, shooting guard Gradey Dick<\/a>, unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and a 2027 first-round pick swap.<\/p>\n

Financially, the Raptors are utilizing an expanded trade exception to absorb Leonard\u2019s $50.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season. However, they have to wait for the deal to be finalized on both sides.<\/p>\n

The Raptors proactively placed a hold on the trade in July to avoid absorbing any potential league discipline, but the league finally handed down its ruling on September 3, 2026.<\/p>\n

Clippers Break Silence On NBA Punishments
\n\"DenverGettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA \u2013 FEBRUARY 19: Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer celebrates after the Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets<\/a> at Intuit Dome on February 19, 2026 in Inglewood, California.\u00a0 (Photo by Wally Skalij\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The LA Clippers<\/a> have broken their silence after the NBA punished their franchise two weeks ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to team owner Steve Ballmer, the team will be complying with the NBA\u2019s decision, expressing regret for what transpired but continuing to stand by earlier claims.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,\u201d the Clippers statement read. \u201cI want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, eyes remain on the Clippers as they look to finalize the Leonard deal with the Raptors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tRob Andrew Lo<\/a> Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler.
\n
\nA Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda.
\n More about Rob Andrew Lo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty TORONTO, ONTARIO – MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors reacts against the Golden State…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895180,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,459,82],"class_list":["post-895179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}