The Los Angeles Clippers struck their agreement with the Toronto Raptors over Kawhi Leonard as far back as 30 June, yet the trade has still not been formally completed. Rumours circulating in the media suggested the Clippers were dragging the process out in revenge, unhappy that the forward had escaped with such a light punishment. Yet the real reason lies elsewhere. The delay stems from the leadership crisis inside the franchise, triggered by the severe sanctions imposed by the NBA: owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker were each handed a one-year ban, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months. With Frank sidelined, the major decisions now fall to general manager Trent Redden, but the club's interim governance structure has yet to be formally approved, and without that sign-off the deal cannot be pushed over the line.
Toronto, for their part, put the process on hold and chose to wait until the NBA's investigation had run its course, insuring themselves against the risk of Leonard being suspended or his contract voided. Ultimately neither came to pass. The inquiry left his deal intact and the forward was fined 700,000 dollars, a penalty Kawhi settled with the league and the players' association without resistance, unwilling to put the move in any danger. He has already attended the camp organised in Miami by the players of the Canadian club, yet with the paperwork still unsigned he is restricted to training on his own. Leonard's representatives and Toronto remain fully convinced the agreement will hold and that the trade will be rubber-stamped before long.
