Report reveals why Kawhi Leonard’s trade is still on hold

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Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Sep 9, 2026 1:01 PM ET

The Los Angeles Clippers received word on their punishment in the Kawhi Leonard investigation nearly a week ago, but the trade sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors still has not been made official. As it turns out, the Clippers may be more to blame for that than the Raptors are.

One key reason for the delay, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, is that the Clippers are still trying to decide who is running the front office. Owner Steve Ballmer and president Lawrence Frank were both suspended for their roles in the Leonard scandal, thus depriving the organization of their top two decision-makers.

Ballmer has been suspended for a full year, while Frank’s suspension will last six months. Obviously, that leaves both unavailable at the moment, but someone has to officially sign off on the deal sending Leonard to Toronto.

The Clippers and Raptors initially came to terms on the deal in late June. However, as a result of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay Leonard additional money, the two sides held off on finalizing the deal due to the Raptors’ unwillingness to put themselves at risk of punishment.

By all accounts, the Leonard trade will still be completed as previously agreed. At this point, no one seems to know when.