Kawhi Leonard is now officially a player for Toronto after the Clippers scandal
The NBA sanctions did not fall on the player despite him taking the easy money for doing nothing.
NBA Market: The trade that returns Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors is now official after several months of waiting due to the NBA's investigation of the Los Angeles Clippers for a possible violation of salary cap rules. The agreement, initially agreed upon on June 30, was put on hold while the league investigated the circumstances surrounding Leonard's arrival at the Clippers as a free agent.
The Clippers and the Raptors resumed the original terms of the agreement on Monday and finally communicated the operation to the NBA offices for processing. This move marks Leonard's return to the Canadian franchise with which he achieved the greatest success of his career.
According to sources cited by ESPN, Leonard waived a trade bonus of $7.45 million to facilitate the operation. That bonus would have caused Toronto to exceed the first salary apron. Once the trade is completed, the Raptors are approximately $2.3 million below that limit and have 13 guaranteed contracts.
In exchange for Leonard, the Clippers receive Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, in addition to two unprotected first-round draft picks, a first-round swap, and two second-round picks. The operation is completed after Los Angeles spent the last 13 days managing the consequences of the NBA investigation and all the necessary internal aspects to finally close the deal.
The trade comes just weeks after the NBA imposed a historic punishment on the Clippers for irregularities related to Leonard. The league punished the franchise with the loss of five future first-round draft picks, a $30 million fine, and a one-year suspension for its owner, Steve Ballmer.
The sanctions were announced after an almost year-long investigation that concluded that the organization had engaged in a pattern of irregular conduct and multiple significant violations of NBA rules related to circumventing the salary cap. Additionally, the league noted that the Clippers were repeat offenders in this type of infraction.
Leonard's destination also has a significant sentimental component. The forward led Toronto to its first NBA championship in 2019, also being the MVP of those Finals. However, just a year after winning the title, he left Canada to sign as a free agent with the Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard's Homecoming
Now, seven years after that historic season, Leonard returns to Toronto in a completely different context and after a period marked by physical problems and the controversy that has ultimately led to the harshest punishment in recent Clippers history.
The new phase will even feature an immediate reunion between both franchises. Toronto will visit the Clippers on November 2, while the Raptors will host Los Angeles on January 1. Additionally, both teams will face each other during the preseason on October 10 in Vancouver.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kawhi Leonard ya es oficialmente jugador de Toronto tras el escándalo de los Clippers