news-engine

Well, it’s about time. The Toronto Raptors finally have some clarity. After weeks of waiting, the NBA has decided not to suspend Kawhi Leonard or void his contract following its investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers, according to ESPN‘s Shams Charania. For the Raptors, that is about as good of an update as they could have hoped for. The proposed trade that would bring Leonard back to Toronto had been put on hold while the league looked into the Clippers. Now that the investigation is over, nothing is standing in the way of the deal from the league’s side, and that changes things pretty quickly for the Raptors. Toronto has been waiting on this decision before figuring out exactly what its roster will look like heading into the 2026-27 season. The proposed deal would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap and two second-round picks to Los Angeles in exchange for Leonard. That is a lot to give up. However, the Raptors are getting a player who could completely change this team’s ceiling. And while this is great news for Toronto, it is hard to say the same for the Clippers. Los Angeles was hit pretty hard by the investigation. The NBA fined the organization $30 million and took away five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033. Owner Steve Ballmer and other big names in the organization, including Gillian Zucker and Lawrence Frank, have each been suspended. However, for Toronto, the most important part of the whole investigation is what did not happen. Leonard was not suspended. His contract was not voided. And the proposed trade can move forward. Leonard is obviously not a stranger to Toronto. Nearly seven years after leading the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship, he could be heading back to the city where he put together one of the best playoff runs in franchise history. The Klaw is coming off a strong season with the Clippers, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals over 65 games. If he can stay healthy, Toronto would be adding one of the most experienced two-way players in the league to a team that is already trending in the right direction. The Raptors already have Scottie Barnes. They already have RJ Barrett. Both showed last season that they can be important pieces of a competitive team. Add Leonard to that mix and suddenly Toronto has three players who can carry an offence in different ways. Barnes can do a little bit of everything. Barrett can get downhill and put pressure on the rim. Leonard can go get a bucket when the offence gets stuck. That last part might be the biggest difference.