Clippers' Kawhi Leonard reportedly with Raptors on team retreat despite trade being unfinished image
The Toronto Raptors were very excited to bring back Kawhi Leonard to the place where he helped the franchise win an NBA championship. However, it all got put on hold due to the NBA’s investigation into the possibility of him receiving improper benefits from the Los Angeles Clippers.
The investigation lasted some time, leading many to wonder about the trade. It is still expected to go through, and the details of the deal remain in place.
“The Raptors are still sending draft capital to the Clippers alongside Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick in their trade for Kawhi Leonard, per Shams Charania. Full trade haul for Los Angeles, who now must covet these picks: 2027 swap. 2031 + 2033 unprotected 1sts. 2030 + 2033 2nds," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
The only thing is that it hasn’t become official yet, and that could be due to a multitude of reasons. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that the deal should be done in a few days.
“The full expectation around the Raptors and around Kawhi Leonard and the league is that this trade will be going through in the next few days," Charania said.
It is now seven days later, and nothing has happened. It will be interesting to see how the Clippers navigate life after the punishment. Even with the trade not going through, Leonard has found a loophole to join the Raptors on their retreat in Miami.
“Per league sources, the Raptors, Leonard’s camp and the camps of other prominent players in the trade remain very confident it will go through soon. Leonard, it should be noted, is known to be with his Raptors teammates (in an unofficial capacity) on a retreat of sorts in Miami this week,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote.
The assumption would be that since it is in an unofficial capacity, there is nothing considered wrong with the move. This is great for Leonard as he looks to build strong relationships with the current roster.
In the NBA, loopholes can make anything possible, but if an organization or player is not looking for one, just look at what happened to the Clippers. Leonard will be traded at some point; it is just a matter of when and what the holdup is.
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