TORONTO – There now appears to be a clear path for Kawhi Leonard to return to the Toronto Raptors.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that it completed its salary-cap circumvention investigation of Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, dishing out harsh penalties to the team, its owner, and several executives. However, the league said it won’t suspend Leonard or void his contract, clearing a major hurdle for a trade with the Raptors that was paused back in July.
“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am,” Leonard said in a statement. “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.”
The NBA stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and fined the team US$30 million on Wednesday after an independent investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker were suspended for one year, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months.
Leonard was fined $700,000 after the investigation found he violated circumvention rules by obtaining off-court income opportunities with the Clippers’ assistance and also failed to reimburse personal expenses paid by the team.
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Leonard’s uncle and former business manager Dennis Robertson was banned from conducting business with NBA teams and their affiliates for five years.
“For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with,” said Leonard. “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 between Toronto and L.A., once completed, will send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap and two second-round selections to Los Angeles. The Raptors had no comment on the Clippers’ punishment on Wednesday and said there won’t be any media availabilities with team personnel until the deal becomes official.
Even though the trade was held up for most of the summer, the three players named in the deal still attended events with their new teams.
Leonard was in the front row at Kyle Lowry’s news conference when he announced he was retiring a member of the Raptors on July 7 at OVO Athletic Centre, Toronto’s training facility. Ingram attended a Clippers summer league game in Las Vegas on July 10.
Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game last season for the Clippers.
Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his one season in Toronto, but was injured 11 minutes into Game 5 of the Raptors first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He underwent right heel surgery on May 8.
Dick took a step back in his third NBA season, averaging 14 minutes per game in 2025-26, averaging six points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists, all career lows.
Assuming the Toronto-L.A. deal can now go through, Leonard will join a Raptors lineup that includes all-star Scottie Barnes, Canadian swingman RJ Barrett, talented rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, point guard Immanuel Quickley and young rotation pieces Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter.
Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (with San Antonio in 2014 and Toronto in 2019) and is generally considered one of the game’s top defensive players.
He was the central player in the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, including a climactic buzzer beater to win Game 7 of Toronto’s Eastern Conference semifinal against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He signed with his hometown Clippers as a free agent that off-season, agreeing to a three-year, US$103 million contract.
After opting out of the final year of that contract, Leonard re-signed with the Clippers in August 2021 to a max four-year, $176.3 million contract with the fourth year being a player option. He missed the entire 2021-22 season, however, with a partial ACL tear in his right knee.
That 2021 contract has become embroiled in controversy after allegations emerged in September 2025 that Leonard signed a $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal with Aspiration, an environmental company that entered bankruptcy in March 2025 after co-founder Joe Sanberg was arrested and charged with fraud.
The alleged deal did not require any action on Leonard’s part, other than remaining with the Clippers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press