The Raptors may have a tough decision to make.
The Toronto Raptors rejuvenated their fan base with an agreed-in-principle trade with the LA Clippers that sends 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard back to Canada. Leonard, of course, spent one season with the Raptors, arriving in 2018 via trade from the San Antonio Spurs, and delivered the franchise its first-ever title. Departing that offseason in free agency for LA, Leonard then spent seven seasons with the Clippers before being dealt back to Toronto this summer.
But while the deal has been fully agreed to, it is on pause as the two sides wait for the NBA to complete its investigation and make a decision on potential punishment for Leonard and the Clippers for what has been an alleged salary cap circumvention deal with Aspiration.
The reason the two sides have agreed to pause the trade is not because the NBA required it, but because the league made it clear that any potential punishment related to Leonard’s contract would impact the team whose roster he was on at that time. So, for example, if Leonard was a member of the Toronto Raptors and his contract got voided, it is now Toronto who loses his services. The same applies to a suspension as well.
As Adam Silver has made clear, this does not mean there will be any punishment issued to Leonard, but the Raptors are not willing to assume that risk, and hence the paused trade. The problem now is how long this investigation is taking to complete, and Silver being noncommittal about it wrapping up before the start of next season. This leaves open a real possibility that Leonard, Brandon Ingram, and Gradey Dick could be waiting in limbo once training camp and potentially the season roll around, still technically members of their former teams.
If this turns out to be the case, the Raptors have decisions to make. Not only would they be without Leonard, but presumably without Ingram as well, as the likelihood of any of the players involved in this deal playing for their former teams seems incredibly unlikely even if the deal does not go through. So, there are a few options for the Raptors to explore in this scenario.
The first is old friend DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors’ all-time leader in scoring remains a free agent after being waived by the Sacramento Kings, and could slide into the vacated starting forward role that Ingram left behind and Leonard projects to fill. Ironically, DeRozan was traded for Leonard in 2018, and could serve as a capable stopgap as the Raptors wait for the deal to complete, and then assume a reserve role upon Leonard’s integration into the team.
The second option, and the one that seems most unlikely, would be calling off the trade entirely and attempting to reconcile things with Ingram. There has been no indication from either the Clippers or Raptors that this is on the table, but it would be a theoretical option if the Raptors started to get a sense that the worst was on the horizon as it pertains to Leonard and potential punishment.
The third and likeliest scenario is simply waiting it out and relying on the current roster. Even without Leonard or Ingram, the Raptors have a talented group that is led by Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, two players more than capable of carrying an offensive load while waiting for reinforcements. Rather than muddying the waters over what will most likely be a temporary wait for Leonard, the Raptors can simply move forward with the roster he projects to eventually join.
