Kawhi Leonard’s trade to Toronto is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary cap rules, the Raptors announced Thursday.
鈥淭he NBA league office informed us that as a result of the ongoing investigation involving the Clippers, we would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi,鈥� the Raptors said. 鈥淚n light of this, we will wait until the league鈥檚 investigation is complete.鈥�
There is no timetable for the conclusion of the NBA’s probe, which is being performed by outside counsel. The league had no immediate comment Thursday.
The back in September into whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC 鈥� a company that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year 鈥� broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre.
鈥淭he Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans,鈥� the Raptors said.
The that would send Leonard back to the city that helped win the 2019 NBA championship.
The Raptors agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and pick swaps to the Clippers for Leonard 鈥� who spent one season in Toronto, and that was the year the Raptors won their lone title.
He turned 35 earlier this month but is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is generally considered one of the game鈥檚 top defensive players.
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