The reported trade between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers involving Kawhi Leonard is now on hold and will not be completed until the NBA's investigation into Leonard's sponsorship agreement with Aspiration is completed, the two sides announced Thursday. The Raptors released the following statement:
"Regarding our planned trade with the LA Clippers for Kawhi Leonard, 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.
In light of this, we will wait until the league's 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."
The Raptors agreed to a blockbuster trade with the Clippers to bring Leonard, who led Toronto to the 2019 NBA title, back to the franchise on June 30. The Clippers are set to receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a pick swap in 2027 and two second-rounders (2030 and 2033) if the deal goes through.
The NBA's investigation began last offseason, when Pablo Torre released a series of podcasts alleging that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer illegally circumvented the salary cap in order to pay Leonard through the now-bankrupt company Aspiration. The Clippers have repeatedly denied the allegations, and Leonard even attended Kyle Lowry's retirement press conference in Toronto earlier this week.
Depending on the league's investigation -- which has no clear timeline on when it might end -- Leonard's contract could potentially be voided. Should the Raptors have finalized the acquisition of Leonard before the situation was settled, they would have been taking on the risk of losing him. Therefore, they have seemingly elected to wait until the situation is settled before moving forward with the trade. For now, that means that Leonard will remain a Clipper and Ingram and Dick remain in Toronto. Should the investigation yield no discipline, the trade will proceed as scheduled.
CBS Sports will update this story as it develops
