Kawhi Leonard trade to Raptors finally official

Kawhi Leonard is officially a Raptor again. We checked. This time, no qualifiers.

Toronto announced Monday night that its long-delayed trade with the Clippers has been completed, roughly two-and-a-half months after the teams initially reached an agreement.

The Raptors receive Leonard. Los Angeles gets Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-rounders in 2030 and 2033, and the right to swap first-round picks with Toronto in 2027.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable.”

The Clippers also announced the transaction but included no comments from team executives. Sometimes silence says plenty.

Toronto paused the trade in July while waiting to see whether the NBA’s salary-cap investigation would result in Leonard being suspended or his contract being voided. Neither happened. Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000, while the Clippers received a $30 million fine, lost five first-round picks and saw several executives suspended.

Owner Steve Ballmer’s decision to accept those penalties and abandon a threatened legal challenge finally helped clear the way.

Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points last season while making the All-NBA second team. He is entering the final year of his contract at $50.3 million and reportedly could sign a two-year extension worth up to $126 million. He also waived his entire 15 percent trade kicker to facilitate the deal.

After an offseason spent waiting for an investigation, a ruling, an apology and finally a phone call, Toronto can stop planning around a hypothetical. Kawhi is back. Officially.