Raptors set one condition to complete controversial Kawhi Leonard trade

For the past 11 months, sports journalist Pablo Torre has uncovered mountains upon mountains of evidence.

He's followed the money and paper trail of an alleged salary-cap circumvention scheme involving the Los Angeles Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, his uncle Dennis, and the carbon credit company Aspiration.

The league is conducting an investigation and has frozen a deal that would've brought Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors.

However, as much as this might be a red flag, it looks like they're still on board with this transaction. Talking on ESPN's "Get Up," insider Brian Windhorst said the Raptors still want to make this trade, though the terms could change.

The Raptors could change the terms of the Kawhi Leonard trade

“The Clippers still want to do this trade badly they’re getting a whole bunch of draft capital in this deal,” Windhorst said.

The league's decision to put the deal on hold suggests a potential penalty for Leonard, which could include voiding his contract and/or a suspension.

Naturally, the Raptors would have to review the terms of the deal if that were the case: 

“The Raptors, in their statement yesterday, said they were eager to want this trade to happen, but if Kawhi Leonard faces a real penalty here, we could see the trade terms reopened, and I think that’s what the Raptors are trying to protect themselves,” Windhorst said. 

The deal initially included Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033.

The Clippers, who still claim their innocence of all wrongdoing despite the tons of condemning evidence, quickly changed their stance from 'Kawhi Leonard isn't available' to being eager to complete this deal, not suspicious at all.

Also, Raptors' outgoing president Larry Tanenbaum will have a strong say in any potential punishment the Clippers and/or Leonard might get, so the fact that these were the two teams tangled up in a trade may not be a coincidence either.