Los Angeles has lost its two biggest basketball stars within hours of each other. First LeBron James, and now Kawhi Leonard.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Clippers are nearing a deal to send Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks.
The move would close a chapter on one of the NBA's biggest swing-and-misses, with Leonard never delivering on the goal of bringing his hometown Clippers a title alongside friend and former teammate Paul George. Charania reported that Leonard views the deal as a chance to retire with the team he led to an upset NBA championship in 2019 over the then-powerhouse Golden State Warriors.
Charania added that Leonard preferred to stay with the Clippers after his contract expired at the end of the season, but chose to move to Toronto once it became clear he had no future in Los Angeles.
Return to Toronto
Leonard moved to the Clippers just weeks after winning the 2019 title and earning Finals MVP with the Raptors. That championship was the city's first Big Four pro sports title since the Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993.
His move to Los Angeles coincided with a trade the Clippers made for Paul George, widely regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in league history. To acquire George from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Clippers gave up five first-round picks, the last of which was used in this year's draft, plus two first-round pick swaps and forward Danilo Gallinari. The Clippers also sent over future two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
George lasted only five seasons in Los Angeles through multiple injury-riddled campaigns alongside Leonard. Leonard himself dealt with repeated injuries, including missing the entire 2021-22 season.
Underwhelming results
In seven seasons in Los Angeles, the Clippers made the playoffs just five times and won only three combined playoff series. Their deepest run came in 2021, when they reached the Western Conference Finals before losing in six games to the Phoenix Suns. They missed the playoffs entirely in Leonard's injury season and lost in the first round in each of the three seasons that followed.
Leonard also became the face of the NBA's "load management" era in Los Angeles, often sitting out games the Clippers were expected to win to avoid injury. Despite an 82-game schedule, the most he ever played in a single season was 68 games, in 2023-24.
Aspiration scandal
The move to Toronto comes as Leonard faces scrutiny over his dealings with the now-bankrupt environmental company Aspiration, which is alleged to have been used to circumvent the NBA's salary cap.
Sports journalist Pablo Torre reported that Leonard signed a $28 million "no-show" endorsement deal with Aspiration that required no work from him beyond remaining a member of the Clippers. Torre also reported that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, one of the richest men in the world after serving as CEO of Microsoft, invested $50 million into the company, which Torre alleged was a means of paying Leonard under the table. The Boston Sports Journal later reported that Leonard also received $20 million in stock in the company, bringing his total compensation to $48 million.
The Clippers have denied the allegations. Ballmer told ESPN that the team introduced Leonard to Aspiration after the company signed a sponsorship agreement with the Clippers, but that the team had no further involvement in endorsement deals.
The NBA launched an investigation into the deal and the alleged involvement of Leonard and Ballmer after the allegations were published. NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer said there is no suggestion that a potential Leonard trade would be held up by the league office because of the investigation. Earlier this month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league is near the point where the investigation needs to end.
