Kawhi Leonard Was Traded in June and Is Still Officially a Clipper

Caption: Kawhi Leonard during his college basketball career in 2010. Credit: Dirk DBQ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Kawhi Leonard agreed to a trade to the Toronto Raptors around June 30. The transaction was placed on hold on July 9 while the NBA investigated whether the Los Angeles Clippers had circumvented the salary cap. The league closed that investigation on September 2 and the hold came off. As of this week the trade still has not been processed, and Leonard remains, on paper, a Clipper.

What the Two Sides Agreed To

Toronto receives Leonard. Los Angeles receives forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and a 2027 first-round pick swap. Leonard, 35, is a seven-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP who averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 65 games last season. Ingram, 29, averaged 21.5 points and 5.6 rebounds over 77 games with Toronto. Dick, the 13th overall pick in 2023, has averaged 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds across three seasons.

What Changed While the Deal Sat

The same ruling that released the trade stripped the Clippers of first-round picks in five consecutive drafts, fined the franchise 30 million dollars and suspended governor Steve Ballmer for a year. Reporting since has raised the question of whether Los Angeles now wants more back than it agreed to in June, given how much draft capital it just lost. Nothing has been announced. The front office is also short a decision-maker, because president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank is serving a six-month suspension.

What Leonard Has Said

Leonard accepted a 700,000 dollar fine as part of the same ruling and said he takes full responsibility for lapses in judgment. On the move itself he said that as he returns to Toronto he is focused on what he can control, closing this chapter and moving forward with a clean slate. He has spoken about the trade as settled. The paperwork has not caught up to him.

What Has to Happen Next

A trade is not a trade until the league office processes it. Until that happens Leonard is a Clipper, Ingram is a Raptor, and a deal agreed more than two months ago is the last piece of the investigation still sitting on a desk.

References: Kawhi Leonard Trade Is Still Not Official: Could There Be Changes to the Deal? | Reports: Raptors agree to acquire Kawhi Leonard in trade with Clippers | Raptors-Clippers’ official Kawhi Leonard trade details revealed after NBA finishes investigation