The Kawhi Leonard trade saga has taken another strange turn.
More than a week after the NBA handed down its historic punishment against the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard still hasn’t officially been traded to the Toronto Raptors, and according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, people around the league aren’t entirely sure why.
The Clippers and Raptors originally agreed to a blockbuster deal in late June that would send Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps and a second-round pick.
Toronto put the deal on hold on July 9 while waiting to see how the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers would impact Leonard.
That investigation is now over.
Yet the trade still hasn’t happened.
And this time, it’s reportedly the Clippers holding things up.
According to Amick, the Raptors, Leonard’s representatives and the camps of other prominent players involved remain confident the deal will ultimately be completed.
Leonard has even been spending time with Raptors players during an unofficial team retreat in Miami this week.
So what’s the holdup?
The Clippers have reportedly pointed to the fallout from the NBA’s punishment and the resulting uncertainty inside their front office.
Longtime president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months, leaving questions over exactly who is currently running basketball operations in Los Angeles.
General manager Trent Redden has widely been expected to assume Frank’s responsibilities, but the Clippers have yet to publicly clarify their front-office structure.
If the trade is finalized in the coming days, the delay may ultimately prove meaningless.
But the uncertainty is particularly interesting considering how aggressively Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has responded to the NBA’s ruling.
Ballmer has made it clear he intends to fight the league’s decision by whatever avenues remain available.
Leonard’s role in the scandal only adds another layer.
The 35-page report that sparked the NBA investigation found Leonard received $18 million through arrangements that were ultimately deemed to violate the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Leonard, however, was ordered to pay just $700,000 to the NBA.
The punishment for the Clippers was considerably more severe.
Los Angeles was fined $30 million and stripped of five first-round draft picks, while Ballmer was suspended for one year.
Frank received his six-month suspension, while longtime Clippers business president Gillian Zucker was also suspended for one year without pay.
The Clippers’ ability to challenge the ruling through arbitration was also effectively eliminated after the National Basketball Players Association agreed with the NBA’s ruling.
For now, all indications remain that Leonard will eventually become a Raptor again.
The only question is why it’s taking so long.