Kawhi Leonard Makes Public Appearance in Toronto Amid Stalled Raptors Trade as Clippers Remain Silent on Allegations

Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers forward, has been in deep water for a while now. In September 2025, Leonard was accused of being involved in illegal endorsement deals provided by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. What made the deal illegal was Ballmer’s alleged method of circumventing the NBA’s salary cap. Eleven months later, the investigation still hasn’t closed and has stalled the Clippers’ pending Leonard trade with the Toronto Raptors.

Earlier this summer, the Raptors pursued Leonard by offering Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, but the league hit pause. The NBA advised Toronto to refrain from finalizing the transaction, fearing the team could be dragged into the issue.

Leonard appeared unfazed, attending the National Bank Open in Toronto despite the investigation. Sportsnet uploaded a clip of him in attendance.

According to sources, the Raptors remain interested in acquiring Leonard despite the situation. Reports suggest the deal could close by September, before training camp. Yet the contradiction is clear: stalled for now, but dangling as a possibility if the league clears him.

The problem deepened when Commissioner Adam Silver discovered Leonard had another hidden sponsorship. A second deal of a multi‑million‑dollar contract with Daktronics- beyond his Aspiration endorsement surfaced. If proven true, Leonard faces indefinite suspension, killing the Raptors trade.

NBA Insider Believes Kawhi Leonard Allegations Could Be True

The league has pushed hard to get to the bottom of the investigation. After 11 months, two questionable endorsement deals have surfaced. While not yet proven, an NBA insider believes silence from Leonard and the Clippers is telling.

Brian Windhorst noted how neither party has aggressively denied the new information, which is a sign that they may have been caught red‑handed.

“This situation is not hard to understand,” Windhorst said on ESPN. “I don’t need FBI training to understand what a kickback is. The thing that comes along with this is that some other outlets as well as The Athletic, have reported that the league was looking at a second deal involving Kawhi. And the trade to Toronto was slowed down.”

"The other thing that’s interesting to me is Daktronics didn’t come out with a statement that completely denied this whatsoever," Windhorst added.

"They had a crisis PR man say something like Kawhi is not under contract right now. It was not a full denial. This to me is extraordinarily troubling. The lack of response for days on end. Maybe something changed in the next 12 hours, but this does not look like a full denial to me."

Whatever the case, Leonard and the Clippers haven’t officially been proven guilty. Silver has said he wants the investigation wrapped before training camp.