Kawhi trade to Raptors on hold amid ongoing salary investigation

Kawhi Leonard's return to Toronto has reportedly been put on hold following an ongoing case involving his salary under the Los Angeles Clippers organization.

The Toronto Raptors had agreed to send Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick to Los Angeles, along with draft capital, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently under investigation for allegedly circumventing the NBA salary cap in relation to Leonard's contract. Reports claim the organization funneled $28 million to the two-way star through his endorsement deal with the now-defunct green banking company Aspiration. Before going bankrupt, the company reportedly had a 23-year endorsement deal with the Clippers worth $300 million.

The Clippers have repeatedly denied the allegations surrounding Leonard's compensation, claiming they were also deceived.

Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg has since been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud.

In a statement to ESPN on Thursday, the Clippers reportedly said they are not shutting down the deal. However, the trade "can only be finalized if the Raptors' ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi's contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation."

The Raptors also issued a statement saying they "remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto" but are unwilling to assume the risks associated with the investigation. The team will instead wait for the case to be resolved before proceeding with the trade.