Kawhi Leonard Raptors Trade: Star Returns to Toronto After NBA Investigation

Kawhi Leonard returns to Toronto after the Raptors finalized his trade from the Clippers.

The Toronto Raptors completed their trade for Kawhi Leonard on Monday, 14 September, more than two months after the deal was frozen by an NBA investigation.

Kawhi Leonard Raptors Trade Finally Becomes Official

Leonard returns to the Raptors in a trade finalized more than two months after the original agreement.

Toronto sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and the right to swap first-rounders in 2027. The terms are unchanged from the deal the two clubs agreed on 30 June.

Why the Kawhi Leonard Trade Was Delayed

The delay is the real story. On 9 July, the Raptors paused the trade after the league told them they would carry the risk of any outcome of its investigation into the Clippers. Toronto said it would wait for the findings.

What the NBA Investigation Found About the Clippers

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year and the team was fined $30 million following the NBA investigation.

Those arrived on 2 September. The NBA said an independent investigation by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz found a pattern of misconduct by the Clippers, who had broken salary cap circumvention rules before.

The league said the club initiated off-court income opportunities for Leonard with four companies that did business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance.

The Clippers must forfeit a first-round pick in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 drafts, and pay a $30 million fine. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and team activity for a year.

Business operations president Gillian Zucker was suspended for a year without pay, and basketball operations president Lawrence Frank for six months without pay.

Kawhi Leonard's penalty and Response

Leonard's penalty was separate and far smaller: a $700,000 fine. The league found that, through the conduct of his uncle and former business manager Dennis Robertson, he pressured the Clippers to help him obtain off-court income and failed to reimburse the team for personal expenses.

Leonard said he had no knowledge of any intent by anyone to circumvent the salary cap, and accepted responsibility for lapses in judgment by people in his inner circle. He now returns to the club where he won Toronto's only championship in 2019 and was named Finals MVP.

Kawhi Leonard led Toronto to its first NBA championship in 2019 and was named Finals MVP.

Last season he averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 games, the best scoring average of his career. He is 35.

General manager Bobby Webster said the Raptors were "thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto."