Insider: Kawhi Leonard Trade Still Expected to Go Through

The trade sending Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors remains on hold, but it still sounds like the deal is expected to go through in the end.

Almost two weeks after the Clippers and Raptors agreed to a trade to bring Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for a package of Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft picks, it has yet to become official as the NBA investigates the Aspiration money scandal Los Angeles and the superstar forward have been accused of being involved in.

That hiccup, however, doesn’t appear as though it will ultimately prevent the blockbuster deal from happening, according to insider Chris Haynes.

Haynes said:

“I do believe that the deal will ultimately go through. I don’t know what the NBA with their independent investigation is going to find, but I ultimately think it will go through. I talked to both sides and both sides still feel like this will be resolved, a trade will occur. And I’m here right now in Vegas watching the Kings and Clippers, Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, they’re all on the Clippers bench as if they’re officially Clippers members. So this whole thing is just a little bizarre,”

The 34-year-old Leonard is set to enter the third and final year of the three-year, $149.5 million maximum contract extension he originally signed with the Clippers in 2024. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 appearances last season.