Kawhi Leonard’s trade from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors is expected to be completed in the next few days now that the NBA has concluded its investigation into the Clippers and Leonard, according to Shams Charania.
Speaking on ESPN 2 on Wednesday, September 2, Charania said the investigation’s conclusion removed the final issue standing between Leonard and his move back to Toronto.
“The contract was not voided. He was not suspended. So all systems are a go. Everything is on track for Kawhi Leonard to be traded now to the Toronto Raptors,” Charania said.
Charania explained that Toronto had been waiting for the investigation to conclude before completing the transaction. The NBA had previously informed both teams in July that they could proceed with the trade, but any penalty imposed on Leonard would have transferred to the Raptors.
“The full expectation around the Raptors and around Kawhi Leonard in the league is that this trade will be going through in the next few days,” Charania added.
The NBA announced Wednesday that the Clippers and Leonard violated the league’s salary-cap circumvention rules following an independent investigation conducted by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
The league said the Clippers initiated and facilitated off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies doing business with the organization: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance.
The NBA imposed a $30 million fine on the Clippers and ordered the franchise to forfeit first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA Drafts. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, while President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker received a one-year unpaid suspension and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months.
Leonard was fined $700,000, while his former business manager Dennis Robertson received a five-year ban from conducting business with NBA teams and affiliates on behalf of players or league personnel.
Despite the findings, the NBA did not void Leonard’s contract or suspend him, allowing the trade to Toronto to proceed.
Leonard also addressed the investigation publicly, saying he accepted responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within his inner circle while maintaining that he entered his Clippers contract and the agreements in question in good faith.
The 35-year-old Leonard is coming off one of his strongest regular seasons since returning from his ACL injury. He averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 games during the 2025-26 season while shooting 50.5% from the field, 38.7% from three-point range and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
Leonard earned All-NBA Second Team honors and finished seventh in MVP voting as the Clippers went 42-40 and finished ninth in the Western Conference.
A return to Toronto would bring Leonard back to the franchise where he spent the 2018-19 season. He averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 60 regular-season games that year and led the Raptors to their first NBA championship.
The trade is now expected to become official within days, bringing an end to Leonard’s seven-year tenure with the Clippers and opening the next chapter of his career in Toronto.
