NBA trade news: Clippers finally bid farewell to $375.8 million 6-foot-6 forward to Raptors after controversial delay

It has been a while but the wait is over. Kawhi Leonard is in the Toronto Raptors again, and the trade reuniting him with the franchise he led to a championship in 2019 is no longer hypothetical. The Raptors and Clippers received league approval Monday to finalize the deal both sides shook hands on back in late June, ending a stretch where an already-completed trade sat frozen because of an active NBA investigation.Nothing about the trade package changed in the two and a half months it spent in limbo. The Clippers still get Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and a stack of draft compensation, and the Raptors still get their franchise cornerstone back. What changed is the context: the NBA's probe into how the Clippers paid Leonard is now closed, complete with penalties that reshaped the roster math on both sides.CategoryDetailsPlayerKawhi LeonardFormer TeamLos Angeles ClippersNew TeamToronto RaptorsContract StatusFinal year of three-year, $103 million deal signed in 2019; extension expected with RaptorsClippers ReceiveBrandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2031 and 2033 unprotected first-round picks, 2027 first-round pick swap, 2030 and 2033 second-round picksOriginal AgreementJune 30League ApprovalMondayKawhi Leonard returns to Raptors from ClippersKawhi Leonard's return closes a loop that started when he left Toronto for the Clippers after that 2019 title run, still the only championship of his career.Raptors general manager Bobby Webster called it a statement move for a franchise trying to get back into contention, saying Leonard's "impact on our organization, our city and our country is undeniable."Leonard framed the moment as a reset after a turbulent offseason, saying he's "focused on what I can control, closing this chapter." At 35, he's coming off the best statistical season of his career, a career-high 27.9 points across 65 games for the Clippers last year, along with 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.Kawhi Leonard's Clippers-Raptors trade detailsThe trade framework has been the same from what the two sides agreed in June. Toronto sends Leonard west and gets back a package built almost entirely on draft capital: two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a first-round pick swap in 2027, and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033.The Clippers get two rotation pieces in return. Ingram, extended to a three-year, $120 million deal shortly after Toronto acquired him, averaged 21.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season. Dick, the Raptors' 2023 first-round pick, saw his role shrink, with his scoring dropping to 6.0 points per game on 30% 3-point shooting.Why was Kawhi Leonard's Clippers-Raptors trade delayed?The agreement sat frozen because the NBA was investigating whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap when they signed Leonard to that three-year, $103 million deal in July 2019, reportedly including a no-show job worth $28 million. Both franchises agreed not to finalize the trade until the league closed its probe. The findings landed hard: Ballmer drew a one-year suspension and a $30 million fine, and the team forfeited five first-round picks. Leonard himself was fined $700,000, though the league didn't suspend him or void his contract. As for his fortune, Leonard is estimated to have earned approximately $375.8 million in NBA salary through the end of the 2026-27 season.Ballmer has already said he won't challenge the punishment. For Leonard, the next milestone is a contract extension with Toronto, something the Clippers weren't willing to offer. Toronto hosts the Clippers in a preseason game in Vancouver on Oct. 10, the Raptors visit Los Angeles on Nov. 2, and the Clippers head to Toronto on Jan. 1.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.