Everything regarding the trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors looked good until, slowly, many days went by and nothing became official from either sides. Unfortunately, for the LA Clippers and their fans, it was announced that the holdup was the investigation Leonard was under for alleged cap circumvention.
However, per Mike Vorkunov of ‘The Athletic, ’ the investigation is complete, and to his knowledge, “the trade with the Raptors will still happen.” This is a massive step forward, as the Clippers have been waiting for the league's clearance for weeks.
Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) of The Athletic believes the NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration has concluded and the league is currently shifting through the law firm’s findings:
— APHoops (@APH00PS) July 23, 2026
“I believe the trade with the Raptors will still happen.”
(h/t: @Kawhidagoat1) pic.twitter.com/XmXhB5u5FH
The fear was that nothing would be settled by the start of training camp, and even further into the year, which would create an awkward situation for Leonard on the Clippers, and more for Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick on the Raptors.
Kawhi is on the verge of officially being gone, and Clippers fans couldn’t be happier
Fans of the LA Clippers have a soft spot in their hearts for Kawhi Leonard. And, quite frankly, they always will. Leonard fought through injury after injury, consistently bounced back from adversity, broke several records, and had some of the craziest takeover moments that will never be forgotten.
After a while of off-court drama, and with the Clippers trying to get as young as possible, the fanbase is ready to see him move on to bigger and better things for the remaining portion of his career.
This will officially signal the end of an era, and the start of another, despite the already departed guys like James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Paul George, who have each gone down as legends for the franchise in their own unique ways.
In the same breath, everyone and their mother on the Clippers’ side of town is thrilled to be looked at as the underdogs, similarly to how the 2018-19 season panned out under former head coach Doc Rivers. No one is expecting anything out of LA next year, particularly in the stacked Western Conference, with Brandon Ingram and Darius Garland at the helm.
That is where the fun comes in, though, as it does not get better than rising out of thin air and shocking the world to a point of disbelief.
But for this to happen, the trade with the Toronto Raptors needs to go through, and that is why the update provided by Mike Vorkunov is significant news.
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