Kawhi's Raptors Move Still On — But the NBA Probe Could Drag Into 2027
Toronto and the Clippers still plan to finish the Leonard trade, but a cap-circumvention investigation over a $28M deal has the whole thing frozen.
Trade limbo and injury risk keep him a hold-your-breath asset until the league rules.
- Raptors-Clippers deal agreed June 30, still on hold
- Probe centers on 4-yr, $28M Aspiration endorsement
- Leonard: 27.9 pts in 65 games in 2025-26
- Investigation could stretch into 2027
- Package sends Ingram, Dick + picks to LA
Kawhi Leonard is still headed back to Toronto — probably. Both the Raptors and Clippers intend to finish the trade they agreed to on June 30, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, but the whole thing remains frozen while the league digs into whether the Clippers found a backdoor way to pay Leonard. The centerpiece: a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal from Aspiration, a now-bankrupt company that once sponsored the Clippers.
The stakes here aren't small. Leonard is coming off a career-best scoring year — 27.9 points across 65 games in 2025-26 — and he'd be rejoining the franchise he carried to the 2019 title. The Clippers, meanwhile, are set to receive a package built around Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks. None of it can close until the NBA is done, and Holmes reports the probe could bleed into next year.
The league is trying to figure out whether that endorsement was legit or a dressed-up way to funnel money to Leonard outside his contract. Owner Steve Ballmer admits he introduced Leonard to Aspiration but says he didn't set up or know about the deal. Leonard and the Clippers deny any wrongdoing. Potential penalties range from fines and lost picks to suspensions — or even voiding Leonard's contract entirely.
Why Toronto Won't Rush It
The NBA told the Raptors that once the trade becomes official, Toronto assumes the risk of whatever punishment lands on Leonard. That's the sticking point. Nobody knows how a penalty would even apply to a completed deal, so Toronto is content to wait rather than inherit a mess. Team president Masai Ujiri hasn't cooled on the reunion, though — he described Leonard as determined and in the right headspace, with a fire still burning.
There's no formal deadline. Commissioner Adam Silver has said he hopes to wrap things before the regular season, but if the league, the Clippers, Leonard and the players' union can't agree on findings or discipline, the union is reportedly ready to push to arbitration. That could tack months onto an already year-long process.
The Fantasy Fallout
For managers, this is a full-on holding pattern. Leonard sits at #9 overall in our rankings (#4 at his position) on the strength of 45.9 fantasy points per game last season (2025-26, actual), though his last five games ran 8.7 below that average — a reminder that health has always been the real Kawhi tax. Ingram is the intriguing one: he finished #48 overall (#18 at position) with 35.9 FPTS/G in 2025-26 and was trending up (+3.1 over his last five). If he stays in Toronto, his usage should climb; if he lands in LA, it changes again.
Bottom line: WATCH Leonard closely and don't overpay for the uncertainty. In dynasty and keeper formats, hold Ingram — his floor is solid regardless of which jersey he's wearing on opening night. Gradey Dick (#349, 10.8 FPTS/G in 2025-26) stays a deep-league dart throw either way. Until the league rules, treat every Kawhi rumor as noise, not a draft-day trigger.
