Steve Ballmer‘s acceptance of the league’s fines for circumventing the salary cap could clear the way for Kawhi Leonard the trade will be completed soon. This was reported by a source close to Leonard Sam Amick and Matt Schubert of The Athletic that he expects the deal to be completed “in the coming days.”
The Clippers and Predators agreed to trade in late June, but Toronto suspended him on July 9 out of concern that the investigation could lead to Leonard’s suspension or possibly voiding his contract. He received a relatively light punishment — he was ordered to pay the league $700,000 — while his playing status was not affected.
Assuming the deal stays as it is, Los Angeles will send Leonard to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Grady DickToronto’s unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, exchange of first-round picks in 2027 and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033. Draft assets are especially valuable to the Clippers, who were drafted five picks in the first round as part of league disciplinary action.
The Stein Line’s Jake Fisher is less optimistic that the deal will be completed “inevitably” (Link to Twitter), saying the Clippers are still not ready to make any major trades as they retool their front office after Ballmer, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and President of Business Operations Jillian Zucker all were suspended by the league.
As of Sunday night, the Clippers had not yet decided who would represent them as an interim governor as the league’s Board of Governors prepares to open its two-day meeting today in New York (Link to Twitter). Fisher confirms a weekend report that the NBA is open to handling a trade call on the Leonard deal regardless of whether an interim governor has been appointed.
A dignified investigation by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz found that the Clippers helped Leonard negotiate a lucrative no-show deal with Aspiration and similar arrangements with three other companies. Ballmer originally called the findings “witch hunt” and vowed to fight the fines, but in a statement released late on Sunday, he was much more conciliatory, expressing “sincere regret” and accepting responsibility as the principal owner, although he added that he still disagreed with some of the investigators’ findings.