NBA insider says he was scolded for suggesting Toronto should tweak Kawhi trade

It's been a week since the NBA announced the penalties and findings from its cap circumvention investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Raptors trade still hasn't been processed.

If they've already agreed to the previous terms, what are the Raptors and Clippers waiting for?

ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst speculated on his The Hoop Collective show last week about why the Kawhi trade may not have gone through yet, and suggested there could be some renegotiating taking place now that draft picks have become a premium for the Clippers.

Windhorst said at the time that, if he were in Toronto's front office, he'd revisit the trade terms.

His comments were not taken lightly, and Windhorst said on the following show that he was scolded by an NBA executive for suggesting the terms of the Kawhi Leonard trade could change.

"I was scolded for implying if the terms could get altered," Windhorst said.

ESPN NBA Insider Brian Windhorst said on the most recent episode of his podcast that he was "scolded" for wondering if #Raptors should change the terms around the Kawhi Leonard trade with the #Clippers.

"I'm not going to say [who scolded me]. People in the NBA say your word is… pic.twitter.com/UUDRNg3sFo

— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) September 9, 2026

His co-host, ESPN's Tim MacMahon, chimed in by speculating that the scolding likely came from Southern California and not Canada.

"I'm not going to say [who scolded me]," Windhorst replied.

"I'm just going to say, people in the NBA say your word is important, so they've agreed on this trade, and I think they are going to go through with it as constructed."

The point Windhorst is making with this new statement is that backing out of agreed-upon deals can damage relationships with other GMs, and since Toronto has already got its guy, the Raptors will accept the deal as it was originally laid out.

As things stand, the June 30 trade that would send Leonard to the Raptors involved Toronto giving up two players, Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, four future draft picks and a 2027 pick swap to LA.

Ingram has been spotted training at Clippers facilities, while Leonard has travelled to Miami for a Raptors mini-camp before the start of training camp at the end of the month.

Kawhi Leonard and longtime partner, Kishele Shipley, chat with Toronto luxury real estate mogul Sami McDadi at the National Bank Open in August. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, it's the Clippers who are now holding up the process.

The Raptors and Leonard's camp are confident the trade will proceed on the previous terms. Still, the Clippers have indicated that the impact of the league's discipline following its investigation has delayed the Leonard-to-Toronto trade.

The NBA handed Clippers owner Steve Ballmer a $30-million fine along with a one-year suspension from all league and team activities following the cap circumvention investigation. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was also suspended — he and Ballmer would've overseen this deal.

The Clippers were also stripped of five consecutive first-round draft picks, from 2029 through 2033, as a penalty, though they would receive a 2031 and 2033 first-round pick from the Raptors, along with two second-round picks in 2030 and 2033 if the trade proceeds as planned.

Leonard, by contrast, was ordered to pay only $700,000 in restitution.