The Clippers are reportedly "quite fine" with Kawhi Leonard remaining on the team if the Raptors trade does not go through.
The Los Angeles Clippers would reportedly have no issue welcoming Kawhi Leonard back if his proposed trade to the Toronto Raptors falls apart.
Kawhi Leonard
Position SF, SG
Age 35
Height 198 cm
Weight 102 kg
Birth place Riverside, United States of America
Leonard's return to Toronto remains on hold as the NBA continues investigating whether the Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules through his endorsement agreement with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Los Angeles is comfortable with the possibility of Leonard remaining on its roster for the 2026-27 season.
"I can see a world in which Kawhi Leonard is back on the Clippers if this trade doesn't go through, and the Clippers, quite frankly, are fine with that," Shelburne said ESPN's NBA Today.
Kawhi Leonard's Raptors return could be delayed until 2027
According to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, the case could continue well beyond the beginning of the 2026-27 season if the league, the Clippers, Leonard, and the National Basketball Players Association cannot agree on the investigation's findings or a potential settlement.
The NBPA would reportedly be prepared to take the matter to arbitration if the NBA attempted to impose penalties without providing sufficient evidence to prove the alleged violation.
NBPA could challenge potential NBA punishment
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard
Credit AP-Scanpix
Sources close to the players' union told ESPN that the NBPA would not hesitate to challenge the league through arbitration if it believed any punishment involving Leonard was unsupported by the evidence.
Such a dispute would add another stage to an investigation that has already lasted several months and could prevent a final resolution until sometime in 2027.
The NBA appointed the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct the independent investigation.
Commissioner Adam Silver recently expressed hope that the process could be completed before the beginning of the upcoming season, although no official deadline has been announced.
The league opened the investigation in September 2025 following allegations that Leonard received a four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement from Aspiration, a now-bankrupt company that previously held a $300 million sponsorship agreement with the Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard trade adds urgency to investigation
The proposed blockbuster trade between the Clippers and Raptors has increased the urgency surrounding the case.
Los Angeles and Toronto agreed to the deal on June 30, with Leonard set to return to the franchise he led to the 2019 NBA championship.
The reported package would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and two second-round selections to the Clippers.
However, both franchises announced on July 9 that the transaction had been placed on hold while they awaited the outcome of the investigation.
Toronto explained that the NBA had informed the organization it would assume the risk of any eventual punishment affecting Leonard if the trade were completed before the case was resolved.
The Raptors therefore decided to wait, although they stressed that they remained interested in completing Leonard's return.
Leonard is coming off a career-high scoring season in which he averaged 27.9 points across 65 appearances. The 35-year-old previously spent one season with Toronto, winning the 2019 championship and Finals MVP award before signing with Los Angeles.
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