Will the Clippers-Raptors Kawhi Leonard trade FALL APART?! Windy weighs in | Get Up

to the developing story in the NBA.A big one.Kawhi Leonard's trade from the Clippers to Toronto is now on hold.That's due to the ongoing NBA investigation into whether the Clippers went around the salary cap by funneling money to Kawhi via his $28 million endorsement deal with the green banking company, Aspiration.Raptors say they still want this trade to happen and they're gonna wait for the probe to conclude, which the NBA said should be in the coming weeks.Meanwhile, the Clippers released a statement on Thursday saying, quote, we recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues.

We remain confident that With that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning.We have not done what we have been accused of doing.Brian Windhorst, Vince Goodwill here to break it all down.Wendy, let's start with you, because when the talks came about this Kawhi trade and this looming investigation, that was always a huge question that was on the table, and the impact this could have on this thing playing out.So can you share more with us on where this stands with the NBA and their investigation, what this whole thing all really means?

Yes, so from what I am told, before the Raptors entered into serious talks with the Clippers, they contacted the league office and asked about this scenario.And the league office said two things that are important to realize.One, they would not block or stop a Kawhi Leonard trade.However, if there was a trade, the Raptors or whoever team acquired Kawhi Leonard would have to deal with any penalties that he was given as a result of this investigation.So this development is not new.What I suspect the Raptors and Clippers did here, especially after hearing from Adam Silver at the finals that it was getting time to wrap up the investigation, is that they believed that

investigation would be wrapped up by now.The Clippers have maintained their innocence since the start and so they went ahead with it thinking that by mid -July it would be done.It's mid -July and it's not done and so the Raptors You know, they've been negotiating with Kawhi Leonard on a contract extension.Kawhi Leonard came to Toronto, took and passed his physical, was there posing for photos this week when Kyle Lowry retired and the team announced his number was being retired.But they hadn't done the deal yet.And so the Raptors had to take this step because people across the league were wondering just what the hell was going on.

It feels like he's functionally already a Raptor.We saw on June 30th as this trade was being put in the works.He was at the Blue Jays game and now obviously at Kyle Lowry's retirement.So, Wendy, let's say something comes down here, some sort of suspension for Kawhi.How could that potentially affect his trade value and what the Raptors might be willing to pay or not pay in this circumstance?

Well, let's be 100 % clear.The Clippers still want to do this trade badly.They're getting a whole bunch of draft capital in this deal.The Raptors, in their statement yesterday, said they were eager.They want this trade to happen.But if Kawhi Leonard faces a real penalty here, we could see the trade terms reopened.

And I think that's what the Raptors are trying to protect themselves.But on a certain level, they're protecting themselves from the unknown.

Yeah.I mean, Vince, let's drill down on that a little bit more.So if he gets suspended, How would his value be reduced in the eyes of the Raptors?Like, how could this potentially toothpaste get put back into the tube but still see the trade go through?

Well, if you're the Raptors and you want to load manage Kawhi Leonard, something, sometimes, you know what, a 25, 30 game suspension, that might be just what you need, right?But seriously, the problem here is that the NBA looks bad here.Adam Smith,looks bad here.When he came out in front of us right before the NBA Finals and said, it's time for this investigation to end, while he's not leading it, he can put his thumb on the scale and influence the investigators to get this thing done.The problem for the league is twofold.

Most importantly, the problem is that Steve Ballmer's on the other end of this.Steve Ballmer has more money than Adam Silver.everybody.So even if you have the most cursory sort of perfunctory penalty that you place on the L .A.Clippers, Steve Ballmer is going to sue you.

So you have to have everything lined up because you know litigation is coming.Also, you want to make sure that you can talk to everybody imaginable in case there is some wrongdoing that you can find.The problem is, what are you going to find now that you have not found in the last seven months when you said it's time to go?League business has gone on.The new league year has started.The league just does not look good from an optic standpoint, even if they're willing to tell you, hey, this kind of ain't our fault here.

Sure.Wendy, has this held up significant league business?Because we know that we've seen a majority of moves in free agency already and trades that happened before that.But am I reading it correctly to think that this might actually have a domino effect?

Well, see, that's the issue, Courtney.It hasn't held up league business.The Raptors and Clippers have gone on with their business and done other deals and executed other things.And now undoing it would be very, very messy.And so that's why they're going to be committed to making this happen.And the difficulty here is just the unknown.

And you don't have to be an expert lawyer, which the Raptors have, to understand why you would tell your team you can't go forward with this until you have an understanding.and what their parameters are.And technically, the NBA owners and league, they don't sue each other, but it does happen.In fact, Steve Ballmer has been sued before by fellow owners.So realizing that you've got to have this nailed down is part of the reason why this is taking so long.

Vince, is there any world in which this trade falls apart?

I mean, there's a world that this trade gets the terms get redone, right?There is a world in case.There is a suspension that the Raptors look at it and say, hey, we don't want to give up this much draft capital for a player who we're going to have for maybe two -thirds of the season.So and even then that's messy because the way that the Clippers are looking at it as we've we're pot committed.We have a future now where we have our draft capital back.They have not had draft capital since the day that they traded for Kawhi Leonard.

We get given everything that they gave up when they traded Shea Gilgers, and there.and a bunch of pigs to go get Paul George.So now they're in this spotlight.Think about this like this windy.They could have very well have been heavily into the Jalen Brown sweepstakes.If they knew that this situation wasn't going to happen.

The fact the moves that did the moves that did not happen are more important than the moves that did happen just because it's so much of a non -news developing around Kawhi Leonard's future and the trade from the Clippers to Toronto that is now on hold.

That's due to an ongoing NBA investigation into whether the Clippers went around the salary cap by funneling money to Kawhi via his $28 million endorsement deal with the Green Banking Company Aspiration.So the Raptors say they still want the trade to happen and they're going to wait for the probe to conclude, which the NBA said should be in the coming weeks.Both teams released statements following the news.We heard from the Clippers saying, quote, remain affected while the process continues.We remain confident that when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning.We have not done what we are accused of doing.

Brian Windhorst, I want to start with you.here because when talks came up about this Kauai trade, this looming investigation was always a huge question mark.So what more can you share with us about where things stand with the NBA and their investigation into this and what it all really means as it pertains to this trade actually going through?

Well, Courtney, let's admit here, this is a unique situation.You're not seeing this one every year.So based on my conversations, what I understand is, is that before the Raptors made their deal with the Clippers, they contacted the league office and said, What would happen if we traded for kawaii leonard the league office said two important but different things One was they would not stop a trade of kawaii leonard despite this long ongoing investigation into this aspiration contract The second thing they said though was if kawaii faced penalties, it would be on the raptors to deal with them They would not be shielded nor would the deal be undone The raptors went with that information went ahead and made the deal with the clippers on june 30th.They couldn't concentrate and do the official trade deal until after July 6th when the new lead year got done.And because Adam Silver said way back on June 3rd that it was time to wrap up the investigation, and because there had been no indication from the lead that any penalty was coming, the Raptors and Clippers operated as if there was not going to be a significant penalty.But here we are.

July 6th has come and gone.We're well past it.And the Raptors, and especially their attorneys, do not feel comfortable with approving the trade with this outstanding.The only thing the league said on the record about this yesterday is that the investigation is ongoing and it will be finished in the coming weeks, not hours, not days, weeks, Courtney.And so we are left in limbo.What happens next is largely up in the air and uncertain.

So we have to keep waiting is what you're saying.Adam Silver said wrap it up June 3rd.That was more than a month ago.This trade happened 10 days ago.The moratorium period ended July 6.So Vince, how does the league look in all of this?

Well the league got ESPN.They didn't just figure that this trade was happening.It's important to note this other thing.I talked to someone from the league yesterday.I was told Two teams reached out to the NBA around that same time period.One was Toronto, one was another mystery team that was not revealed to me about the availability of Kawhi Leonard and the possibility of these penalties coming down.

The league told both of those teams the same things.What Wendy said was important.It's one thing to acknowledge and understand that penalties could come down.A ruling could come down.That was six weeks ago when Adam Silver, the commissioner, says it's time for something to end.That's everybody saying it's time to wrap this up.

And the fact that this could go on an additional two months from that day signals to me, A, this is really embarrassing for the league, like full stop.This shows that the League does not have its thumb on the scale of what reasonable time looks like.Secondarily, and this ain't the League's fault, Steve Ballmer is the richest owner in the League.They know even the most cursory sort of penalty will trigger litigation from him.You don't want to get into that.Steve Ballmer is also a significant ally of Adam Silver, so everyone has to have everything wrapped up.

So much so, Activity and transactions have happened since then it is just a bad look and the fact that we're gonna have a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas me and Wendy will be there on Tuesday and Adam Silver still won't have something to say about that.It's really a bad look.

All right, Wendy So let's say that whenever this thing concludes if the league finds that there is a need to suspend Kawhi for a certain number of games What could that potentially do to this trade in the way that it's been packaged to this point?

Yeah, I don't think either teamwants to back out of this.The Clippers made that clear in their statement yesterday.The Raptors said they are eager to complete this deal.The Clippers got two first -round draft picks, a Swap and Brandon Ingram, in this deal.They are happy with the return on Kawhi Leonard.

The Raptors feel like getting Kawhi Leonard is a pathway for them to competing for the Eastern Conference.They're going to extend Kawhi Leonard.Kawhi Leonard has already been to town.They've gone through the physical.They're ready to go.It's going to go down.

However, if Kawhi faces a penalty, week.The Raptors could look to alter the terms.Let me just give you one small comparison this past season.Kobe white was traded between the Bulls and the Hornets when the Hornets got him.They noticed he had a calf injury.He missed seven games.

They peeled off a second round pick because there was the because he missed that time if Kawhi Leonard were to face a suspension that would cause him to be reduced significantly.The Raptors could ask for a complete change of the compensation being sent back to them.

Yeah, that is a big big deal.If they got him for a cheaper amount than what they were initially planning for, which could have been and could still be a new contract upwards of nine figures.