By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Kawhi Leonard is set to return to the franchise he led to an NBA championship in 2019.
The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have agreed to move forward with the blockbuster trade and will now schedule an official trade call, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The two teams initially reached an agreement on June 30, but the deal was put on hold while the NBA investigated the Clippers for circumventing salary cap rules in relation to Leonard.
The league recently concluded its nearly yearlong investigation and imposed severe penalties on the franchise. The Clippers were fined $30 million and stripped of five future first-round picks, while owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension.
According to the NBA, the investigation uncovered “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” by an organization that had previously violated salary cap circumvention rules.
With the disciplinary process completed and internal details addressed over the past 13 days, the Clippers are now prepared to finalize the trade.
Los Angeles will receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, two second-round selections and the right to swap another first-round pick.
Leonard spent only one season in Toronto, but it became one of the defining chapters of his career. He led the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history before joining the Clippers in the summer of 2019.
Seven years later, he is returning to Toronto, where he will play under head coach Darko Rajakovic.
Make