The Kawhi Leonard trade saga has finally reached its conclusion.

Shams Charania has now confirmed on NBA Today that the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have completed the trade that sends Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto. The deal had been stalled for more than two months after the NBA opened its investigation into the Clippers’ dealings involving Leonard.

The agreement was originally reached on June 30. Leonard was set to go to Toronto, while the Clippers would receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-round picks. The transaction was subsequently put on hold as the league investigated the Clippers’ dealings involving Leonard.

Charania previously reported that Toronto, Leonard and the league had all been ready to complete the transaction, with the Clippers representing the final side that needed to give its approval.

“Sources tell me that at long last the Clippers and Raptors have both agreed to move forward and complete the Kawhi Leonard to Toronto trade,” Charania said. “The Raptors have been ready. Kawhi Leonard has been ready. The league has been ready as well to sign off on this trade.”

That final sign-off came after the Clippers spent the past 13 days dealing with the NBA’s punishment and working through the internal consequences of the investigation.

Ballmer’s Compliance Cleared the Way

The NBA’s investigation resulted in a major penalty for the Clippers. The league ordered the franchise to forfeit five first-round picks, issued a $30 million fine and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year.

Those penalties created another layer of uncertainty around the Leonard trade. The Clippers needed time to absorb the ruling and work through their next steps before giving the league the green light to complete the transaction.

According to Charania, Ballmer’s decision to accept the punishment played an important role in allowing the Clippers to move forward.

“Steve Ballmer accepting his punishment and moving forward here, complying with the NBA’s ruling, played a big part in the Clippers being allowed now to move forward,” Charania said.

The final transaction also required Leonard to make a financial concession. In a post on X, Charania reported that Leonard had completed paperwork to waive his 15% trade kicker, worth $7.45 million, to facilitate the move to Toronto.

Charania also noted that Toronto is now pressed against the NBA’s first apron following the trade, citing ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

The completed transaction clears the immediate roadblock that had prevented the Leonard trade from progressing. The Clippers can now move forward without Leonard, while Toronto can officially begin the next chapter with the return of its former star.

The situation has been costly for Los Angeles well beyond losing one of its biggest stars. The five first-round picks the NBA ordered the Clippers to forfeit represent a significant loss of future draft capital, while the trade itself sends additional picks to Toronto.

Charania described the situation as a turbulent chapter for the Clippers, with consequences affecting both the present and the future. The franchise now has to deal with the basketball impact of losing Leonard while also navigating the punishment handed down by the league.

For Toronto, the outcome is much more straightforward. The Raptors are bringing back the player who led them to their first NBA championship in 2019. Leonard also won Finals MVP during that championship run before leaving Toronto for Los Angeles that summer.

Now, seven years later, he is returning to the same franchise.

Charania also reported that Leonard and the Raptors are expected to work toward a contract extension in the near future. Toronto is looking to build around Leonard and Scottie Barnes as the team prepares to compete in the Eastern Conference.

“Kawhi Leonard gets that landing in Toronto, back where he won the championship in 2019,” Charania said.

The decision also follows what Leonard’s camp made clear during the original trade discussions in June. According to Charania, Toronto was the only team Leonard was willing to commit to on a long-term contract.

That detail makes the final destination less surprising. Toronto was already Leonard’s preferred landing spot, the Raptors were ready to complete the deal, and the league had been waiting for the Clippers to give its final approval.

With Leonard waiving his trade kicker to facilitate the move, the final financial and procedural pieces have now fallen into place.

After months of uncertainty, an NBA investigation and a historic punishment for the Clippers, the Kawhi Leonard trade is officially complete. Toronto gets its former Finals MVP back, while Los Angeles begins a new chapter with the consequences of the deal extending well beyond the loss of its star.