Kawhi Leonard is still operating as if his Toronto return is coming.
Jake Fischer and Marc Stein reported that Leonard remains under the belief that the NBA's ongoing investigation into the Clippers will conclude before the start of training camp and that he will be able to join the Raptors in time. The deal has not been completed because Toronto chose on July 9 to pause the trade until the league announces a resolution.
The investigation centers on allegations of salary-cap circumvention by the Clippers to pay Leonard beyond his contract dating to 2021. The league hired Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz last September, and the probe has now stretched across 11 months. That is why Toronto is waiting on the league office before treating the agreement as final.
Leonard's agent, Harrison Gaines, has kept frequent contact with the National Basketball Players Association during the process, according to the report. Leonard is said to strongly believe the trade will ultimately go through, giving the seven-time All-Star a path back to the franchise he led to the 2019 title.
The Toronto calendar is part of the pressure point. The Raptors are scheduled to hold Media Day on Sept. 28 before opening team practices the following day in Quebec City. The move was agreed to, per the report, with the idea that Leonard would also negotiate a multiyear extension with Toronto beyond the coming season.
Leonard is 35 and due to earn $50.3 million in 2026-27, the final year of his current contract. That makes the trade more than a one-year reunion if Toronto can get it cleared and then secure a longer agreement.
There is still risk on the Clippers' side. Sources added that Los Angeles is prepared to go to arbitration depending on the severity of potential penalties ordered by the league once the findings are complete.
Adam Silver said at summer league in Las Vegas that he could not give a firm timeline for clarity on Leonard's future, saying only "this summer." Leonard's working belief is more specific: camp with the Raptors, if the league's process lands before the calendar does.
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