Legal expert weighs in on paused Kawhi trade

A Toronto legal expert says he was surprised that the proposed Toronto RaptorsLos Angeles Clippers trade involving Kawhi Leonard was put on hold while the NBA investigates Leonard’s contract history with Los Angeles. Russell Sanders, a partner at Aird and Berlis, said the delay suggests the issue may not have been fully reviewed before the teams announced the deal. He said any possible penalty would need to be significant enough for Toronto to accept the risk of bringing in Leonard. The proposed trade would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected firstround picks, a 2027 pick swap and two secondround picks to the Clippers. The NBA opened its investigation after allegations that Leonard received a US$28million endorsement arrangement tied to his time with the Clippers, though Leonard has not been charged with wrongdoing. The Raptors said they will wait for the investigation to finish before moving ahead. Sanders pointed to past salarycap circumvention cases in the NBA and NHL as examples of how leagues have handled similar disputes, but noted those situations did not involve trades.