Kawhi Leonard says he wants to move forward from NBA investigation in first comments back with Raptors

After a tumultuous offseason, Kawhi Leonard is back with the Toronto Raptors. It was a long road for the two to be reunited, as Leonard was subject to an NBA investigation over the offseason, one that resulted in his trade back to the Raptors being on hold for several weeks.

But now that the trade is official and the investigation is over, Leonard is hoping to turn the page and focus on basketball. He said as much during his appearance at NBA media day on Monday.

Kawhi Leonard opens by saying he wants to move forward from the investigation, and talk about the Raptors.

Happy to be back, and be able to focus on basketball and being a Raptor again. pic.twitter.com/pmXY7hrhLK

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) September 28, 2026

That's not a surprising take from Leonard, who was under intense scrutiny over the offseason thanks to reporting done by journalist Pablo Torre, who unveiled last September a plot in which the Los Angeles Clippers were accused of using a team sponsor to pay Leonard additional funds to circumvent the NBA salary cap.

Torre's reporting eventually led to an NBA investigation, which determined the Clippers, team owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard were at fault. As a result, the Clippers were docked five future first-round draft picks, Ballmer was suspended for a year and fined $30 million, and Leonard was fined $700,000.

The Clippers and Ballmer initially fought back against the ruling, vowing to challenge the league's findings. Eventually, Ballmer relented and accepted the NBA's punishments.

Leonard, meanwhile, expressed a desire to move forward, releasing a statement through his new agent asking to close this chapter and move forward "with a clean slate."

Complicating the entire situation was the fact that Leonard was traded back to the Raptors in the offseason. That trade was initially announced with the investigation still ongoing. With the situation unresolved, both teams put the trade on hold until the NBA announced its ruling.

Once the NBA's punishment came through — and Leonard was not suspended — both teams agreed to go through with the deal. The Raptors then quickly signed the veteran to a two-year, $115 million extension.

After once again expressing his desire to move on, Leonard didn't have much of note to say Monday. He expressed joy and excitement at being back in Toronto, which he called a winning environment, and confirmed he is healthy.

Leonard's first go with the Raptors went about as well as anyone could have hoped. He helped lead the team to an NBA championship in his one season with the team before leaving to join the Clippers that offseason.

It was that Clippers deal that eventually drew the ire of the NBA and resulted in Leonard’s hefty fine this offseason.