Clippers, Raptors Reportedly Agree to Complete Kawhi Leonard Trade; NBA Has Yet to Post Transaction

ESPN reported Monday that the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have agreed to complete the long-delayed trade that would send Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto. According to ESPN, citing sources, the next step is a trade call with the NBA league office. As of Monday, the move had not been verified in the NBA’s transactions ledger or in an NBA communications post included in the available research, so it should not yet be treated as officially processed by the league.

The reported trade package has been described consistently by ESPN and other outlets: The Clippers would receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks in exchange for Leonard.

The deal has been stalled for more than two months under unusual circumstances. The teams first reached an agreement in principle on June 30, but the trade was paused while the NBA investigated the Clippers for alleged salary-cap circumvention related to Leonard’s contract.

Toronto publicly confirmed the reason for the delay on July 9. In a statement quoted at the time by AP and NBA.com, the Raptors said the league office had informed them that Toronto would assume the risk of any outcome from the investigation affecting Leonard. “In light of this, we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete,” the team said.

The Clippers also said in an earlier statement that the trade could be finalized only if Toronto’s ownership group agreed to absorb the risk of potential penalties tied to Leonard’s deal.

The investigation concluded Sept. 2, when the NBA announced major penalties against the Clippers. Reported punishment included the forfeiture of five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033, a $30 million fine for the franchise, a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer and additional suspensions for senior team executives. Leonard was fined $700,000, but he was not suspended, and reporting at the time said his contract was not voided.

That outcome cleared the way for the trade to move forward, even if the formal league-processing step still had not been reflected in official transaction channels as of Monday’s report.

For Toronto, the move would bring back the player most closely tied to the franchise’s greatest season. Leonard led the Raptors to the only NBA championship in team history in 2019 and was named Finals MVP during that title run. He left Toronto later that summer to sign with the Clippers.

Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and a two-time Finals MVP, and his return would immediately become one of the most significant moves in Raptors history because of what he meant to that 2018-19 championship team.

Still, the procedural distinction matters. Monday’s development, as reported by ESPN, was that the Clippers and Raptors had agreed to complete the trade and were preparing a call with the league office. Based on the research available, the NBA had not yet officially posted or confirmed the transaction.