The Kawhi Leonard trade is still on hold, and Adam Silver’s press conference on Tuesday didn’t really reveal any new insights or a clear timeline for the investigation into the Clippers’ alleged salary cap circumvention when they signed Leonard to a new contract in 2023.
Silver said, “We all have an interest in wrapping this up, and I’m hopeful this will wrap up this summer.” But he gave no specific date or deadline by which he would like to have a decision made.
The best-case scenario for the Raptors is that the investigation is wrapped up in a few weeks tops, Leonard either only has to serve a short suspension or none at all, the trade goes through, and they can prepare for a big regular season and hopefully a deep playoff run. However, not everyone is confident that things will be sorted out this summer, which would, obviously, be very bad for the Raptors.
“I thought the peak moment of this exchange happened when our friend Chris Mannix pressed Adam Silver with the second question on the scandal, and he sort of called him out,” The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry said on the July 14 episode of the Zach Lowe Show. “He’s like, hey man, this has been about a year. Any report that this Wachtell firm produces is not going to be a one-page summary. There’s going to be a voluminous [report]…and aren’t we going to have to digest that as a league before we react? And then he was essentially saying, you’re not finishing this up this summer. There’s no way you’re doing it this summer, considering training camp is six weeks away.”
He also added, “I’m not sure that Adam Silver and Toronto and LA, the Clippers, will have a resolution this summer.”
The Athletic reported on July 14 that “The NBA’s Aspiration x Kawhi Leonard investigation has grown in scope,” so there is a real possibility that it will drag on longer than anyone would like—including the NBA. Yes, it’s important for the league to get this right, but the NBA is already under fire for the sheer length of the investigation, which is now holding up crucial offseason business for two teams and leaving three players uncertain of where they will live and play next season.
What if there is no resultion this summer?
Most reporting still indicates that both sides remain confident the deal will go through as planned eventually. But it can’t hurt to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. So, what do the Raptors do if the investigation drags on and they can’t comfortably trade for Leonard before training camp or the start of the season?
Do they just go into the season with Brandon Ingram as their leading scorer and hope to get the deal done before the trade deadline? Or do they explore other star trades and just give up on Leonard entirely?
The Raptors are looking at two very different seasons with and without Leonard. With a healthy Leonard, Toronto can be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Without him, they may even find themselves in the play-in tournament instead of the playoff picture, as other teams in the East have successfully completed moves to improve their rosters.
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