By Field Level Media
Sep 14 (Field Level Media) – The trade sending Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors was officially signed off on by both teams on Monday after months of delay amidst the NBA’s investigation into Los Angeles allegedly giving Leonard impermissible benefits, according to an ESPN report.
The trade, initially agreed to on June 30, sees Leonard return to Toronto, where he led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship. In return, the Clippers will receive forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first- round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks, according to the ESPN report.
Those acquired picks will help to replace the five first-round picks the league stripped from the Clippers for the $28 million “no-show job” the Clippers arranged for Leonard through one of their partners, Aspiration, in order to circumvent the salary cap. The NBA found Clippers also made arrangements to pay Leonard through team partners Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sunday night that he would accept the NBA’s punishment, which included a one-year suspension and a $30 million fine along with the forfeited draft picks.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said in a statement posted on the Clippers’ X account. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and the distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
Leonard, 35, averaged 25.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game over 331 games (329 starts) across the past six seasons for the Clippers. The seven-time All-NBA player and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was with the Raptors for just one very eventful season, where he anchored the first NBA title in franchise history before signing as a free agent with Los Angeles that offseason.
Leonard has averaged 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals over 798 games (769 starts) across 14 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs (2011-18), Raptors (2018-19) and Clippers (2019-26).
Ingram, 29, was traded to Toronto ahead of the 2025-26 season and averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while earning his second career All- Star nod. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft has career averages of 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 572 games (533 starts) spanning 10 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers (2016-19), New Orleans Pelicans (2019-2025) and Raptors.
Dick, 22, was the 13th overall pick by Toronto in 2023. He has averaged 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds and hit 34.3% of his 3-point attempts over three seasons with the Raptors, although he averaged a career-worst 6.0 points and 30.1% shooting from outside the arc last season.
(–Field Level Media)
Comments