Raptors put the Kawhi Leonard trade on hold

Apr 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers are putting their agreed trade for Kawhi Leonard on hold due to the ongoing NBA investigation into his finances.

The Clippers issued a statement Thursday revealing that the Leonard trade will not be completed until the NBA investigation into Leonard’s relationship with Aspiration concludes. The league informed both teams that the Raptors would assume the risk of penalties relating to Leonard’s contract if the trade were completed now, which the organization balked at.

“On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors,” the Clippers said in their statement. “We have since been informed that the trade can only be finalized if the Raptors’ ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi’s contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.”

The Raptors issued their own statement saying that they “remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto” once the investigation concludes.

Raptors statement on Leonard trade holdup due to ongoing NBA investigation into the Clippers: pic.twitter.com/fQZc80Vx2L
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 9, 2026

The two sides had agreed on a Leonard trade last week. There is no word on how long it will take for the NBA investigation to conclude, though there have been signals that it is in its final stages.

The NBA has been investigating the Clippers for roughly 10 months stemming from allegations that they used an outside company to funnel money to Leonard and circumvent the salary cap. The Clippers have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and did so again in Thursday’s statement.

It is unclear what type of punishment could be handed down if the league’s findings suggest the Clippers were guilty of what they have been accused of. One possibility could be that Leonard’s contract might be voided, which would obviously be a situation the Raptors would not want to be a party to.