The wait is over. Well, almost. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Monday that the LA Clippers and Raptors agreed to complete the Kawhi Leonard trade, so all that's left now is the official trade call to put the bow on a deal that the NBA world has waited months for.
It's been 12 days since the league released the findings and punishments from the investigation into the Clippers and Leonard for circumventing the salary cap. LA received the brunt of the penalties, but Kawhi was fined $700,000. His contract won't be voided, and he isn't suspended. After learning that, the Raptors were ready to move forward with the deal, but it took nearly two extra weeks.
Steve Ballmer said on Sunday that he would comply with the league rather than fight back, leading many to believe the trade would soon become official. Jake Fischer reported that it sounded like the Clippers weren't "quite ready" to get on the phone with the Raptors, but about 15 hours later, they made it happen, with Trent Redden leading the way.
Clippers and Raptors agree to complete Kawhi Leonard trade
Leonard has been operating under the belief that the trade would go through, and Ingram and Dick have as well.
Back in June, when the trade was first reported, it was seen as a win not just for the Raptors but for the Clippers. Leonard had just turned 35, and after years of disappointment in LA, there was no incentive to keep him around.
They ripped the band-aid off and got two players and draft assets in return, which is a pretty good haul. And speaking of those assets, they look a lot better now, with the NBA docking five first-round picks as one of the penalties.
Clippers needed to close Kawhi Leonard chapter
Leonard isn't leaving Los Angeles better than he found it. He's walking away from a mess he helped create (one he supposedly wasn't all that aware of), leaving the Clippers to pick up the pieces and move forward. Finally completing the trade will help them do that.
To be clear, LA is very much at fault, as there's no denying that. But it needed to get Leonard out of the way rather than let things drag out any longer than they already had. He left a stain on the organization that will never fully fade, but at least the Clippers can hit the reset button, hopefully building toward a much brighter future, one that fans deserve.
Goodbye, Kawhi. It wasn't fun.
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