Kawhi

Leonard

The Clippers agreed with the Raptors on a trade that would send Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft compensation. However, due to the investigation into the contract that the Clippers signed Leonard to, that transaction is on hold. And with Wednesday’s report, it’s fair to wonder if the trade will ever get done, as a potential penalty would be to void Leonard’s contract, making him a free agent. Also, Toronto would assume the penalties if they were to acquire Leonard before a ruling was made, hence the decision to delay the trade.

The two teams agreed to send Leonard back to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft compensation at the end of June, but that deal is now on hold pending the league’s investigation into the Clippers’ Aspiration scandal. ESPN’s Shams Charania said that the expectation is that the deal will still end up happening. While that remains to be seen, all parties involved will be better off as soon as the league finally wraps up this investigation.

After seven seasons (playing six) in Los Angeles, Leonard is headed back to the franchise with whom he won an NBA title in 2019. The Clippers’ hesitation to give him a max extension of $126 million over two years opened the door for “The Klaw” to move, with the Raptors reportedly being willing to fork up that kind of money. Not only does Toronto add an immensely gifted offensive player who can score on all three levels, but Leonard is also one of the best wing defenders in the NBA. The issue has been his availability, with Kawhi appearing in at least 65 regular-season games just twice since leaving Toronto in 2019. When on the floor, he is an elite option for fantasy managers, regardless of league format.

As recently as last week, the Clippers reportedly had no desire to move on from Leonard. However, according to Monday’s report, the franchise’s failure to make a long-term commitment to the seven-time All-NBA selection has opened up the possibility of Leonard being traded. He’s entering the final season of his contract with a base salary of $50.3 million, and Leonard’s representatives have reportedly told other teams that Toronto is the only team he would consider signing an extension with. Leonard moving east would represent both the Raptors’ desire to join the Eastern Conference’s elite and the Clippers’ pivot to a rebuild that’s likely to feature lottery pick Keaton Wagler.

Nothing is going to happen with Leonard until the NBA concludes its investigation into whether or not the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to compensate the 34-year-old forward. For now, the Clippers are determined to keep Leonard and his preference is to remain with the team. The Raptors have genuine interest and Leonard would be open to signing an extension with the Raptors or the Spurs in the event of a trade, according to Fischer. On the other hand, Leonard wouldn’t be open to an extension if dealt to the Pistons or the Heat. The results of the investigation and Leonard’s future will continue to be a storyline to watch this offseason. Stay tuned.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning, Windhorst once again linked the Pistons’ recent cap-saving move of trading forward Isaiah Stewart to an eventual pursuit of big name targets, a list which includes Leonard. Windhorst noted that the Pistons have already missed out on Austin Reaves and Tyler Herro and could be looking at Leonard next. Just don’t expect a resolution soon with the NBA still investigating whether the Clippers circumvented the league’s salary cap to compensate Leonard. Once that investigation concludes, Windhorst said, Leonard will either get a contract extension or be traded and the Pistons have become a team to watch if he’s made available.

Coming off of what he described as the best season of his NBA career, Brown just missed out on first-team All-NBA honors. The Celtics’ star wing was a first-team selection on 44 of 100 ballots, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham appearing on 60 and finishing with 414 total points to Brown’s 384. Leonard, Mitchell, Durant and Brunson round out the All-NBA second team.

In what was an amazing season for Leonard, it ended on a sour note. He played in 65 games and had one of the best offensive seasons of his career. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to bring some of that magic into the play-in tournament. His five turnovers were the most he has had in a game since February. Kawhi will turn 35 in June, which certainly means there will be rumors and questions floating around about the Clippers’ chances of building a contender around him. Regardless, Leonard is still one of the most talented players in basketball and will have a chance to be a fantasy superstar once again next season, no matter who he suits up for.

Leonard is off the injury report and should be back in the starting lineup vs. the Warriors. The two-time Finals MVP averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game this regular season. He’ll play a pivotal role for the Clippers as they look to avoid elimination.

With no Kawhi Leonard (ankle), Collins returned to the Clippers’ starting lineup after coming off the bench in three of the previous four games. He finished one rebound shy of a double-double against the Warriors, but Collins produced nothing else in his 21 minutes on the floor. Leonard will be available for Wednesday’s rematch with the Warriors, which would relegate Collins to the backup center role he’s been asked to assume since Isaiah Jackson went down.