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Seemingly, the only pathways to an expeditious resolution are if the investigation produces no evidence of wrongdoing — can you imagine if, after all this time, Wachtell comes back and says, “We got nothing?” — or if Steve Ballmer and the Clippers basically “plea bargain” to certain penalties and don’t go through the remaining steps of the process. So how does this get resolved? And can the Clippers and Raptors get their Leonard trade to the finish line before the season starts? It certainly seems at least possible that we have a limbo situation where Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick are still technically Raptors when training camp starts in October, and Leonard is still technically a Clipper.
Oh No He Didn't: Chris Haynes on the Kawhi trade:: “The Raptors, they were very comfortable in making this deal but they did not know that the league was going to put a halt on the trade. Both sides still feel like this thing will be resolved, a trade will occur. Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, they're all on the Clippers bench as if they're official Clipper members"
AP Hoops: The expectation is that Brandon Ingram will remain with the LA Clippers once the Kawhi Leonard trade is finalized, per @JakeLFischer . Ingram being rerouted to a third team is not considered likely at this juncture.
Tim MacMahon: The league does not perceive him to be, the league in terms of the people who are making decisions on trade, that the league does not perceive him to be the sixth most valuable player in the league, because in part of his contract and then this is such a like hot button issue, but the advanced analytics are not favorable to Jaylen Brown. I had another GM basically say, "Look… Brian Windhorst: Here we go… Be careful what you're about to say. That's all I'm going to say. MacMahon: It's our job to explain things whether we're co-signing not co-signing, whatever, when there's something like this that confuses the hell out of basically the media, all the fans, all of our listeners. You saw this trade and let's be honest the initial reaction was ‘what the bleep?!’, and this other GM says ‘this is a classic case of the credit goes to the guy who scores but they're not driving team success. There's guys like this all over the league. The difference is he's not at 40 million and like a Brandon Ingram. He's at 60 million and then look, he's rounding up and and then he's going to be at 60 soon, right? And then it gets into it gets into the CBA and the cap rules and the apron.
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Michael Grange: Given the histories of the primary players involved, it's not surprising that the last hurdle to get a deal done is each team signing off on the medicals of the incoming player, per league source. Gradey Dick? Shouldn't be a problem. Leonard's and Ingram's could take a minute.
Michael Grange: Not saying this is not going to happen, but per league sources, Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick plus picks for Kawhi Leonard is not yet completed. Some details still TBD.
Yossi Gozlan: The Raptors luxury tax/apron situation is fluid due to Kawhi Leonard's $7.45 million trade bonus. He will need to waive most of it unless Raptors shed more payroll. They'd have enough room to fill their final four roster spots with minimum salaries if he waives it all.
The Raptors luxury tax/apron situation is fluid due to Kawhi Leonard's $7.45 million trade bonus. He will need to waive most of it unless Raptors shed more payroll. They'd have enough room to fill their final four roster spots with minimum salaries if he waives it all.
— Yossi Gozlan (@yossigozlan.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T19:46:00.189Z
Shams Charania: BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are nearing deal sending Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2 first-round picks, 1 pick swap and 2 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN. A return to Canada for the Raptors champion and two-time Finals MVP.
Brian Windhorst on potential Kawhi Leonard trade to Raptors: This is lining up. This trade could happen today. I think the Clippers and the Raptors have agreed on player compensation. I think it would be Brandon Ingram based on what I am told that would head to Los Angeles. What they've been haggling over is the draft pick compensation. The Raptors have all of their four first-round picks. They have up to four to trade. Naturally, the Clippers are going to want multiple of those. Let's see if they can get this worked out. The key part of this is that the Raptors are willing to offer Leonard an extension and Leonard is willing to sign in Toronto. Those are two big check marks that happen. What's interesting is that despite him coming off a brilliant season, the Clippers, I am told, are not willing to offer Kawhi Leonard an extension right now of any sort. There's not one on the table. He's not rejecting one to go with another. And that is what is forcing this.
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Bobby Marks: "If he is traded, he is eligible to sign a two-year, $124 million extension with the Toronto Raptors. It would have to be Brandon Ingram, who has two years left, there is a player option here, and then to make the math work, it would be Gradey Dick. Now here is where we are kind of in a little bit of a snag, draft picks. Toronto has four first-round picks to trade, and if you are the Clippers, you would certainly probably want 2027, 2029, and 2031. That is awfully rich. If I am Toronto, I am probably only offering two. That deal works as far as from a financial standpoint, Leonard to Toronto, Ingram, Gradey Dick, and three firsts to the Los Angeles Clippers. You are basically turning an expiring contract into three picks."
Dialogue between the teams continued Sunday, league sources say, with the Clippers naturally trying to extract more than has been offered if they indeed are parting with their Face of the Franchise, while the Raptors remain adamant about trying to build a deal — which also would naturally include a level of draft capital — around scoring forward Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick rather than Canadian-born swingman RJ Barrett.
Sources say that Leonard's willingness to sign an extension with the Raptors were he to be traded back to Toronto, as The Stein Line also reported Thursday, has opened the door for a trade to progress to completion. If the Clippers, that is, can ultimately bear to move on from The Kawhi Era. It's believed that the Clippers, furthermore, would have interest in Toronto's offer because adding Ingram — who earned All-Star status last season — should be able to help keep LA sufficiently competitive in the West as it gradually shifts into a youth movement that features the likes of recently acquired Darius Garland and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler.
The most likely construction of the deal would centre on a package including 2026 all-star Brandon Ingram and third-year wing Gradey Dick, which would work in terms of salary matching, per one source. The Raptors would likely have to add some draft picks as additional compensation.
