Clippers and Raptors to Meet in Vancouver as Aspiration Probe Drags On
Grant Mona
Host · Writer
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors are set to play each other in Vancouver on Oct. 10 as part of the 2026 NBA Canada Games, and while the announcement should feel routine, nothing about these two teams right now is simple.
The Clippers went 42-40 last season and were eliminated in the play-in by Golden State, while the Raptors finished 46-36 and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round.
Both teams agreed to a deal on June 30 that would send Kawhi Leonard to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round swap, and two second-round picks.
The NBA's Aspiration investigation has kept the trade frozen for nearly a month, though, and neither team can finalize its roster until the league reaches a decision.
New Timeline
ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported on Wednesday that the probe could stretch into 2027 if the Clippers and the NBA cannot agree on the findings or a proposed settlement.
The investigation centers on whether the Clippers used an endorsement arrangement with Aspiration, a company backed by owner Steve Ballmer, to pay Leonard outside the salary cap, and the team has denied the allegation from the beginning while pointing to co-founder Joseph Sanberg's 14-year prison sentence for wire fraud.
The NBPA has pushed back as well, with executive director David Kelly saying he did not believe there was substance to the claim, and the union has said it would go to arbitration if the NBA pushed penalties without enough proof.
Under the current CBA, possible punishments include team fines up to $7.5 million, draft pick forfeiture, and even voiding Leonard's contract.
The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov reported separately that the fact-finding phase is done but the disciplinary process could take months if it goes to an arbitrator.
Neither Roster Is Finished
Leonard, who averaged 27.9 points per game last season, technically remains a Clipper, while Ingram and Dick technically remain Raptors, and both teams are building around players they might not have when the season opens.
"We're excited to be part of the NBA Canada Games this year," Clippers guard Darius Garland said in the league's announcement. "It's a great opportunity to bring Clippers basketball to fans in Vancouver and experience the passion they have for the game."
Mathurin Adds a New Layer
The freeze has also stalled the Clippers' handling of restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, who put up a career-high 17.6 points per game last season after arriving from Indiana at the deadline and has drawn interest from the Bulls and Pelicans while sitting on an $8.8 million qualifying offer with no rival sheet signed.
Mathurin was born and raised in Montreal, so a Canadian sitting in free agency limbo while his team gets ready to play across the border only adds to an already strange offseason.
The trade remains frozen, both rosters are unfinished, and the Clippers and Raptors will tip off together in Vancouver in October without knowing what their teams will actually look like.
