Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have finalized all details and officially scheduled the mandatory call with the league office to execute the transaction, as confirmed by ESPN.
After nearly three months of delays, controversy, multi-million dollar fines, and one of the most extensive investigations in NBA history, the most dramatic trade saga in modern basketball has finally reached its conclusion.
Kawhi Leonard is returning to the franchise where he delivered Canada’s historic, lone championship ring in 2019, bringing an end to a months-long saga that threatened to erupt into a full-scale legal war with league officials.
Trade package: Who gets who?
The blockbuster agreement involves a massive exchange of players and draft assets aimed at reshaping both franchises. In the trade, the Toronto Raptors acquire superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. In return, the LA Clippers receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, a first-round pick swap right in 2027, and two future second-round picks in 2030 and 2033. The package provides Los Angeles with immediate frontline talent alongside substantial draft capital to pivot toward a rapid roster retooling.
Just in on NBA Today — Clippers, Raptors complete the Kawhi Leonard trade: pic.twitter.com/U5lBetnNSL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 14, 2026
Three-month blockade and historic penalties
The frame of the deal was agreed upon in late June, but the league froze the transaction after launching an unprecedented investigation. The NBA probed allegations that the Clippers bypassed salary cap rules by facilitating secret, off-court financial compensation to Leonard through third-party entities. The sanctions handed down by Commissioner Adam Silver entered the annals of sports history as some of the most severe ever issued. Franchise owner Steve Ballmer and several top executives received multi-year suspensions from basketball operations, the Clippers organization was hit with a $30 million fine, and the team forfeited five future first-round picks. Leonard avoided an on-court suspension, keeping his contract intact, but was fined $700,000.
The ultimate turning point arrived on Sunday evening when Steve Ballmer officially announced that the Clippers would accept the league’s penalties and drop their threatened lawsuit against the NBA, removing the final legal barrier preventing the transaction.
This move alters the trajectory of both franchises. For Toronto, it is an all-in championship gamble and an emotional homecoming for an iconic figure who proved he can carry the franchise to the peak of the sport, instantly restoring the Raptors as top-tier contenders in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Clippers begin a new chapter with newly acquired Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, and significant future draft capital as they move past an unprecedented organizational blow.
