Leonard is in Miami at an organized minicamp of Raptors players while the team waits for the Los Angeles Clippers to move forward with their previously agreed-upon trade, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday.
The Clippers are still working through their new front-office structure after the suspensions of Steve Ballmer and Lawrence Frank, which is the “primary reason” the trade has not gone through, Fischer and Stein added.
Ballmer and Frank each received suspensions for their role in the Clippers’ salary-cap circumvention, with the former out one year and the latter six months. The NBA also stripped the Clippers of five first-round draft picks starting in 2029 and fined Ballmer $30 million.
Leonard is a seven-time all-star, seven-time All-NBA selection and two-time Finals MVP. The 35-year-old averaged a career-high 27.9 points over 65 games last season, finishing seventh in MVP voting.
The Clippers initially agreed to trade Leonard to the Raptors on June 30, reportedly for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks (2030 and 2031), two second-round picks and a first-round pick swap in 2027. But the deal was put on hold on July 10 after the NBA informed the Raptors that they would assume any potential risk of the investigation that impacted Leonard.
“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans,” the team said in a statement at the time.
The NBA ultimately penalized the Clippers on Thursday and also levied a $700,000 fine against Leonard.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” the Clippers said in a statement.
“What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard commissioner (Adam) Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy.
“We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”
–with files from The Associated Press
