Kawhi Leonard trade on hold amid NBA probe

sportsJul 9, 202636346

The Los Angeles Clippers-Toronto Raptors trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto will not be finalized until the NBA finishes an investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap, league sources and team statements say. Sports reporter Pablo Torre's reporting on the Pablo Finds Out podcast prompted scrutiny after bankruptcy filings showed a company called Aspiration signed a $28 million endorsement deal with a Leonard-owned company, of which $7 million remains unpaid and a $1.75 million payment was routed during the offseason. Aspiration later filed for bankruptcy, and reporting has raised allegations that investment in the company could have functioned as a side payment to lure Leonard to Los Angeles in violation of league rules. The Clippers and Steve Ballmer deny wrongdoing and have said they welcome the NBA investigation; the Raptors have said they will await the conclusion of the league's review before completing the deal. If the investigation finds cap circumvention, consequences could include fines or roster penalties for the Clippers and continued uncertainty for the pending Leonard trade.

Howard Beck

@howardbeck.bsky.social

Wow. The Raptors are pausing their trade for Kawhi Leonard, in light of the ongoing cap-circumvention investigation. Statement below:

1285h ago

Boobert16

The billable hours go on!

xthexlambx.bsky.social8

Utter incompetence that the investigation is not over yet. And you know at the very end of this, the investigating law firm is going to deliver a "there was probably circumvention but we can't irrefutably prove it", and then Silver will just wing a penalty. Like he could have done months ago.

Evan Zamir4

I think Zach Lowe was talking about in a pod recently that it seemed odd they let the trade happen before the findings were known.

crispy3

The NBA didn’t/doesn’t provide guidance to their franchises about the subjects of active investigations that could result in punitive measures? These major sports leagues are at least as inept as every other late stage capitalism structure we are watching crumble around us. It’s all so stupid.

playing ocarina of time!1

Adam silver is so bad at his job. Makes me feel better about myself

Quoting this

DrawPlayDave30

1-amazing, love this for all of us 2-im not really sure why the investigation is still going, what more do they need to find, a video of Balmer looking directly at the camera going "i am breaking the rules on purpose"?

Marc Normandin15

I genuinely thought they had this trade go through in part so Leonard just wasn't on the Clippers anymore as a quiet punishment

Dan Clyne9

The league is going to make him plant those trees

Scott Spratt9

Brandon Ingram to the Raptors:

MF Doob9

Pablo Torre must have found something out

Mike6

I still don’t expect them to come down on the Clippers but that is not the “don’t sweat it” I’d have expected from the league

reuben4

impossible to believe the raptors didn’t have /some/ assurance before making this trade in the first place. my guess is that other owners have exerted enough pressure for Silver to at least make a show of it

Ashley3

lol max Crosby part 2

Todd Brommelkamp3

The Raptors talked with Mitch McConnell for 20 minutes today and this was the result.

Kevin Tompkins2

now why would that be?

Shams Charania Tweets

@shamsbot.bsky.social

Developing: The Los Angeles Clippers-Toronto Raptors trade centered on Kawhi Leonard will not be complete until the NBA investigation into the Clippers is over. Statement from the Clippers to ESPN: For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation,

735h ago

Shams Charania Tweets12

participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency. On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto

Quoting this

Norm Charlatan150

(•_•) So you’re saying that for both teams, the trade has become ( •_•)>⌐■-■ Aspirational. (⌐■_■)

Josh Lewenberg14

Very unusual situation, obviously. Both teams (as well as Kawhi) seem highly motivated to complete the trade and move forward. The ball is in the NBA's court. The league's had 10 months to conduct its investigation. If there wasn't a sense of urgency, there sure is now.

SLC Unc10

There's a better chance of finding a tree Kawhi planted than this trade going through.

Dave Lack7

The investigation isn’t taking this long because they haven’t found proof of guilt. It is taking this long because they HAVE found the proof but they have to figure out a way to spin it so @pablo.show findings look plausibly mistaken.

Federally Subsidized Kool-Aid Jammer6

Then what is taking the league so long to investigate here exactly? Why was he even allowed to be traded, and agreed to said trade, for days?

Jake Goldsbie5

Kawhi was only at Aspiration to get directions on how to get away from Aspiration. He was the only one telling the Clippers not to do anything bad.

Brian Schmid5

Every part of this stupid bullshit is SO FUNNY man

ashlynn_b4

glad to see the @pablo.show investigative reporting wasn’t all for nothing - hopefully the NBA levels real consequences but I won’t hold my breath

🌼🏵🌈🐈‍⬛🌼3

OH SO NOW ADAM SILVER CARES ABOUT THIS SHIT

Dave D3

Kawhi trying to leave LAX and get out of the country

The Athletic

@theathletic.com

The Kawhi Leonard trade between the Clippers and the Raptors will not be finalized until the NBA concludes its investigation into allegations of salary-cap circumvention by the Clippers, according to statements issued by both teams.

484h ago

The Athletic15

“The NBA 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,” added the Raptors. nyti.ms/4f8wWBU

Blake Murphy

@blakemurphy.bsky.social

The Raptors are awaiting the conclusion of the league’s investigation before completing the Kawhi Leonard deal. Not a huge rush, in practical terms, since their roster/cap situation is so limited anyway. And Kawhi obviously in Toronto and being worked back in. Team statement:

185h ago

Blake Murphy6

And here is the Clippers statement, via @thesteinline.bsky.social Obviously some more uncertainty to all of this now, especially as far as any Kawhi punishment.

I Will Touch Your Algae5

Hey, Blake, how fucking incompetent is the league that they couldn't get the investigation done by now? This popped up in September 2025.

Tim W1

If the trade doesn’t happen, it’s going to be awkward as hell for BI and Gradey.

Law Murray 📘

@lawmurraythenu.bsky.social

The LA Clippers have completed six trades (two during draft) since NBA investigation on Aspiration commenced in September And have announced the free agent signings of Rui Hachimura and Kobe Sanders The Kawhi Leonard trade is the first time there has been a complication in a Clippers transaction

165h ago

TSN

@tsnofficial.bsky.social

The Raptors and Clippers' Kawhi Leonard trade will not be complete until the NBA concludes its investigation into the Clippers, per Shams Charania. In a statement, the Clippers say they expect the trade to be finalized following the investigation's conclusion.

135h ago

Josh Lewenberg

@jlewenberg.bsky.social

The Kawhi Leonard trade is in limbo, and like the rest of us, all the Raptors can do is wait. Trying to make sense of an unusual situation:

92h ago

jsaquella

@jsaquella.bsky.social

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Kawhi Leonard to a 5 year $125mm offer sheet

95h ago

Doug Smith

@smithraptorsbeat.bsky.social

Latest -- last? -- of Kawhi stories today. Best guess: It eventually ends up with Leonard in Toronto, as expected. But not for another little while www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...

72h ago

Basquiatball

@basquiatball.bsky.social

I feel for Kawhi Leonard in all of this. Aspiration defrauded him into $21 millions

64h ago

Toronto Star

@thestar.com

The Raptors have put a pause on finalizing a deal that moves Leonard back to Toronto from the Los Angeles Clippers until the investigation into possible salary cap contravention around Leonard’s 2023 contract is resolved.

24h ago

Yossi Gozlan

@yossigozlan.bsky.social

Updated this post detailing how the Clippers could now sign and trade for Peyton Watson (or Cameron Johnson) by expanding the Kawhi Leonard trade, which isn't official yet, now that they officially traded John Collins to the Pistons. www.thirdapron.com/p/kawhi-leon...

6Yesterday

The NLSC

@thenlsc.bsky.social

Kawhi Leonard in NBA 2K20. On this day in 2019, Leonard signed with the Clippers after a season with the Raptors, a stint that yielded a championship. His return to the Raptors via a trade in June is currently on hold as the league investigates certain financial aspirations.