TORONTO — The NBA has declined to suspend Kawhi Leonard or void his contract after its salary-cap circumvention investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers, clearing a major hurdle for his proposed return to the Toronto Raptors. The league announced Wednesday it stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and fined the team US$30 million after an independent investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker were suspended for one year, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months. Leonard was ordered to pay the NBA $700,000 after the investigation found he violated circumvention rules by obtaining off-court income opportunities with the Clippers’ assistance and failing to reimburse personal expenses paid by the team. Leonard’s uncle and former business manager Dennis Robertson was banned from conducting business with NBA teams and their affiliates for five years. “Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am,” Leonard said in a statement. “I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family. “I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap. “For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.” The Raptors and Clippers put a proposed trade involving Leonard on hold in July pending the outcome of the investigation. The deal would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap and two second-round selections to Los Angeles. Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game last season for the Clippers in 2025-26. Assuming the Toronto-L.A. deal can now go through, Leonard will join a Raptors lineup that includes Barnes, Canadian swingman RJ Barrett, talented rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, point guard Immanuel Quickley and young rotation pieces Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter. Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (with San Antonio in 2014 and Toronto in 2019) and is generally considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He was the central player in the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, including a climactic buzzer beater to win Game 7 of Toronto’s Eastern Conference semifinal against the Philadelphia 76ers. He signed with his hometown Clippers as a free agent that off-season, agreeing to a three-year, US$103 million contract. After opting out of the final year of that contract, Leonard re-signed with the Clippers in August 2021 to a max four-year, $176.3 million contract with the fourth year being a player option. He missed the entire 2021-22 season, however, with a partial ACL tear in his right knee. That 2021 contract has become embroiled in controversy after allegations emerged in September 2025 that Leonard signed a $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal with Aspiration, an environmental company that entered bankruptcy in March 2025 after co-founder Joe Sanberg was arrested and charged with fraud. The alleged deal did not require any action on Leonard’s part, other than remaining with the Clippers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2026 The Canadian Press
