MIAMI — The trade sending Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers to the Toronto Raptors isn’t official yet, but that’s not stopping Leonard from being around his new Raptors teammates.
According to The Athletic, Leonard is with Toronto players in Miami. The future Hall of Famer and the Raptors expect the Clippers to finalize the blockbuster trade soon.
“Per league sources, the Raptors, Leonard’s camp and the camps of other prominent players in the trade remain very confident it will go through soon. Leonard, it should be noted, is known to be with his Raptors teammates (in an unofficial capacity) on a retreat of sorts in Miami this week, but according to multiple league sources, the Clippers have indicated the impact of the league’s discipline on their front-office structure is the reason for the delay.”
Leonard Guided The Raptors To The 2019 Championship
Leonard requested a trade from the San Antonio Spurs and was traded to the Raptors for DeMar DeRozan in 2018.
The Raptors won 58 games during the 2018-19 season and were the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Leonard put up 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and made the All-Star team, the All-Defensive Second Team and the All-NBA Second Team.
Behind Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, Toronto defeated the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks to reach the 2019 NBA Finals, where the Raptors squared off against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Toronto beat Golden State in six games to capture its first NBA championship. Leonard won Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the six-game series.
The Leonard Era In LA Was Terrible
In the summer of 2019, Leonard left the Raptors for the Clippers, who acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Leonard and George were teammates in Los Angeles for five seasons before George left the Clippers for the 76ers in the summer of 2024.
The Clippers, who traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers last season, have never made the NBA Finals in franchise history.
A top-75 player of all time, Leonard holds career averages of 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the regular season and 21.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in the playoffs. He is a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Star.
Leonard played in 331 regular-season games and 35 playoff games with the Clippers, who went 217-114 in the regular season and 17-18 in the playoffs when Leonard played.
The Clippers And Leonard Got Punished
The NBA announced that the Clippers and Leonard were penalized for violating the salary cap circumvention rules included in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
The conclusion was based upon information developed through an independent investigation conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
The investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules.
Leonard, through the conduct of Dennis Robertson on his behalf, violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses.
Based on the misconduct, the NBA imposed the following penalties:
● The Clippers shall forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA Drafts.
● The Clippers are fined $30 million.
● Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Leonard, and for his failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumvention rules.
● Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for one year for being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators.
● Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for six months for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Leonard and his family.
● The Clippers organization and personnel are subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office for a period of five years.
● In connection with his violations, Leonard is required to pay the league $700,000.
● Mr. Robertson is banned from conducting business or otherwise engaging with NBA teams and their affiliates on behalf of or with respect to any player, employee, or other league or team personnel for a period of five years.
Leonard has one year left on his contract. The Raptors are widely expected to sign him to an extension.
