Kawhi Leonard's Trade to Toronto is Finally Happening After Clippers Get Hit with League Sanctions

The longest pause in NBA trade history is finally over. According to an Instagram statement from the man himself, Kawhi Leonard expects his trade to the Toronto Raptors to become official now that the league has finished investigating the Los Angeles Clippers.

Marc Stein reported that the NBA handed down a broad series of sanctions against the Clippers following a yearlong probe by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Having a white-shoe corporate law firm investigate your front office sounds less like basketball and more like a season finale of Succession.

"Kawhi Leonard indicated in an Instagram statement that he expects to be officially traded to Toronto."

The blockbuster deal was originally frozen right as the Vegas Summer League tipped off. Toronto wisely hit the brakes because they refused to inherit any potential penalties if the league decided Leonard was personally involved in salary cap circumvention.

Now that the NBA has officially directed its punishment at the Clippers organization, the coast is clear for Toronto. Leonard is heading back north to the franchise he already delivered a championship to, bringing his 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game from last season with him.

This move completely scrambles the Eastern Conference futures market. Oddsmakers will have to aggressively adjust Toronto's win totals now that they are adding a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, assuming he stays on the floor.

Meanwhile, the Clippers are left holding a bag of league sanctions and a drastically altered roster. Their backup plan apparently involves signing a 33-year-old Bradley Beal, who is trying to bounce back from a season-ending hip injury, which is certainly a choice.

Expect the paperwork to be finalized before training camp opens. The only mystery left is exactly how many draft picks or millions of dollars the Clippers are about to lose, and whether Leonard can stay healthy enough to make lightning strike twice in Canada.