Kawhi Leonard is officially returning to the Toronto Raptors after the LA Clippers finally agreed to finalize a long-delayed blockbuster trade on Monday afternoon.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the deal will see the two-time NBA Finals MVP head back to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-rounders.
The breakthrough brings an end to months of waiting for both franchises, who had reportedly reached an agreement earlier in the offseason before the deal was put on hold amid the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers.
Last week, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn launched a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers skirted NBA salary-cap rules with under-the-table payments to Leonard through the help of third-party side deals.
It came after the NBA recently stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, issued a $30m fine to owner Steve Ballmer and suspended the former Microsoft CEO for one year following an investigation into alleged improper payments.
In response to the punishment, Ballmer and the Clippers are weighing a potential lawsuit or asking a judge to issue a restraining order, two sources told the Times.
Kawhi Leonard is returning to Toronto after the Raptors finalized a trade with the Clippers
Leonard led the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship during his season in Toronto
Meanwhile, in a statement of his own amid the Clippers investigation, Leonard said: ‘Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am.
‘I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.
‘I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.
‘For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.’
The trade marks an emotional return for Leonard, who cemented legendary status in Toronto during his lone season with the franchise in 2018-19.
Leonard led the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship that year, capturing Finals MVP honors before departing in free agency for his hometown Clippers.
Now 35, the six-time All-Star will reunite with the franchise where he achieved his greatest triumph, sliding into a retooled Toronto core alongside Scottie Barnes as the Raptors look to reassert themselves as Eastern Conference title contenders.
The NBA has been investigating allegations that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by funneling money to Leonard through an endorsement deal with companies including Aspiration, a green banking firm that has since gone bankrupt as its co-founder Joseph Sandberg admitted to defrauding investors out of $248 million.
The trade marks an emotional return for Leonard, who cemented legendary status in Toronto
The NBA recently stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, issued a $30 million fine to billionaire owner Steve Ballmer and suspended the former Microsoft CEO for one year
‘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,’ read the league statement.
Although he was not suspended, Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits he and his uncle/representative Dennis Robertson received from the Clippers and other organizations. However, the 35-year-old Leonard will not have any contracts voided by the league as a result of the NBA investigation.
Robertson, meanwhile, has been banned from any business dealings with the NBA.
Additionally, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has been suspended without pay for six months while president of business operations Gillian Zucker got a one-year ban.
All punishments are binding, according to the league and players’ union.
