There has been another twist in the tale regarding Kawhi Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors.
The LA Clippers agreed to a trade in principle for Leonard to Toronto in early July. The deal would see the Clippers secure Toronto small forward Brandon Ingram, as well as Gradey Dick and two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033. In return, the Raptors sealed Leonard, the man who helped them secure a championship in 2019.
That deal has been on pause for the past month, however, after the NBA began an investigation into Leonard and accusations that he circumvented salary cap rules. Kawhi signed a $28m endorsement deal in 2022 with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, a now-bankrupt "green banking" company.
“A player suspension is not on the menu.”
The situation worsened for Leonard over the past week when journalist Pablo Torre reported that he also had a separate hidden deal with Daktronics, a company that makes scoreboards. It was supposedly a known secret in the company that Leonard was using it to circumvent the salary cap. This revelation caused prediction market prices on the trade to tank to a low of 51%.
Now, though, prices are back up to 70%+. The resurgence aligns with a report from HoopsHype which claims that as per NBA rules, circumventing the salary cap cannot lead to a suspension. Penalties, according to the news site, can include "fines, direct forfeiture of draft picks," or other punishments. "A player suspension is not on the menu," writes HoopsHype
Of course, this does not mean the Raptors trade is certain, given that any other punishment may devalue the deal for Toronto enough for them to back out.