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Darryn Peterson’s bizarre injuries at Kansas, explained as best we can

Darryn Peterson’s bizarre injuries at Kansas, explained as best we can

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Darryn Peterson was supposed to be the best of a loaded freshmen class in men’s college basketball this season. Instead, the Kansas Jayhawks guard has spent his one-and-one year battling several lingering ailments that have either kept him out of games entirely or limited his availability to just the first half. The program has been vague about exactly what Peterson is dealing with, and the situation is only getting weirder as March Madness approaches.

Peterson was in the lineup on Wednesday night against Oklahoma State, and put together a typically dominant showing when he was on the floor. The guard finished with 23 points in 18 minutes, but took himself out of the game early in the second half with Kansas up big in a game they would win easily. Here’s the moment where Peterson subbed himself out with 17:22 left in the second half after making a three-pointer that put Kansas up 13 points:

Peterson did not return, and Kansas won 81-69. The Jayhawks are 20-6 on the season, 10-3 in the Big 12, and entered this week at No. 8 in the polls.

After the game, Kansas coach Bill Self talked about Peterson’s exit and sounded as surprised as anyone else.

“We’ve had this happen more than a couple times,” Self said. “I didn’t anticipate that at all tonight. I thought he was good to go. We only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing because he could have had a really big night. It’s happened often enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even if that’s not the way we want to play.”

Self is as smooth as it gets among college basketball coaches, but you can hear the frustration in his voice. The head coach repeatedly called Peterson the best player he ever recruited leading up to the season. Peterson has been excellent when he’s been on the floor, averaging 43.8 points per 100 possessions on very efficient 62.8 percent true shooting. The issue is that he hasn’t been able to stay on the floor.

Kansas has played 26 this year. Peterson has played 15 of those games, but he’s only played 30+ minutes in six of them. The situation the Jayhawks found themselves in against Oklahoma State — Peterson playing outstanding basketball until he checked himself out early in the second half and didn’t return — has played out so many times this season.

Peterson has dealt with a hamstring strain, an ankle sprain, a quad injury, and constant cramping issues. As it’s happened, the star guard has earned a new nickname: D(n)P. What’s actually wrong with Peterson? Here’s what we know.

Darryn Peterson’s injury issues and cramping, explained

Peterson played the first two games of the year for Kansas in a win over Green Bay and a loss to North Carolina. Then he missed seven games with what the team called a hamstring injury. He made his return against rival Missouri on Dec. 7, and played 23 minutes in a blowout win. He only played six minutes in the second half, and was seen getting treatment on the bench throughout the game after halftime. Peterson played 31 minutes in a win over NC State in the next game, then missed the next two games against Towson and Davidson with what the team called cramps.

Peterson returned on Jan. 3 against UFC, scoring 26 points in 23 minutes, but he checked out for good with about 11 minutes left, and Kansas would go on to lose. Here’s how Bill Self explained it after that loss:

“Darryn—who I wanted to put on a minutes restriction, that’s what we had talked about…I really couldn’t do it in the first half and we paid for it in the second half because obviously his legs started bothering him again,” Self said. “So that was disappointing. We were going to do the minutes restriction around 24 minutes and he ended up playing about that but he played way too many in the first half. We were playing so poorly and he kept us in there.”

Things got even more strange in the next game against TCU. Peterson tried to check himself out late in the second half during a play, and it led to a Kansas turnover. The team would go on to win without him, but Peterson did check back in to make the game-tying free throws that sent the game to overtime.

Peterson has missed two games since: he was out Jan. 24 in a win over Kansas State with an ankle sprain, then missed the Feb. 9 game against No. 1 Arizona with flu-like symptoms after warming up. In another bizarre twist, a text from someone sitting courtside went viral that indicated Self told him to play if he was going to play, or otherwise sit. So he sat.

Self has stood up for his player all season to this point in the face of mounting criticism over his lack of availability. Here’s what he said after the Arizona game:

“I’ve read some of the narratives out there about (Peterson) and it’s really not remotely true. When you’re honest, people don’t believe you and when you don’t comment on it, people create their own narratives,” Self said Thursday. “Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes. Was his cramping legit? Yes. Did he turn his ankle bad? Yes… He’s had a string of bad luck. Those narratives are BS.”

Self summarized the situation saying Peterson was dealing with a “string of bad luck,” and continued here:

“The thing about it is, when you’re honest, people don’t believe you,” Self said. “And when you don’t comment on it, people create their own narratives. And you know what? I do the same thing about things I don’t know about: ‘Well, it must be this. It has to be that if they’re not going to talk about it.’”

While Peterson has scored extremely well all year, the injuries have sapped some areas of his game that shined in high school. Peterson looked like an elite defensive playmaker for an offensive star back when he was at Prolific Prep for his senior season. As a freshman, he’s posted a 2.6 percent steal rate and 2.2 percent block rate, which are passable numbers, but nowhere near where they were expected. Peterson also hasn’t been much of a playmaker, recording only 11 assists in 11 Big 12 games. He wasn’t expected to be a great facilitator entering the year, but his 12.6 percent assist rate is really low for a player of his caliber, and I would have thought that number would be 25-ish percent coming into the year.

Peterson just hasn’t had the same juice attacking the basket that he showed in high school. He’s only attempted 40 shots at the rim this season compared to 62 non-rim two-point attempts. His three-point volume was thought to be a concern entering the year, but instead he’s taken as many threes (102) as he has twos (102) to start this year.

Peterson has still been a deadly scorer because his shot-making is incredible. It’s easy to fantasize about him getting 100 percent physically, and then looking like the downhill demon and stout defender he was promised to be coming into school. That sounds great in theory, but it would be nice to see him actually play.

Darryn Peterson doesn’t need Kansas, but the NBA would still love to see him play

The 2026 NBA Draft is loaded with Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa sitting at the top of the class. I’ve had Boozer ranked as the best player in the class from the start of the season, with Peterson at No. 2. It seems like NBA scouts are higher on Peterson than Boozer, and he’ll likely compete with Dybantsa to go No. 1 in June.

Peterson looks like some combination of Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker when he’s healthy. Many people have suggested there’s even some Kobe to his game:

The reality is we haven’t seen the best version of Peterson at Kansas yet. He was supposed to be a dominant rim scorer, a game-wrecking defender, and a solid playmaker. So far, he’s looked mostly like an efficient microwave scorer who doesn’t do much passing or defending. A team that takes Peterson in the top-three of the NBA Draft will want to know why he hasn’t looked as good as he did in high school this year, and that means he’ll have to explain his injuries.

Yes, this is an awesome draft class … but how many guys are you really taking over Peterson? Boozer and maybe Dybantsa, sure. But Caleb Wilson? Kingston Flemings? Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr.? The peak version of Peterson would push Boozer for the No. 1 player in the class in my eyes, but even this diminished version of him is still too enticing to pass on him for anyone else. I’m keeping him at No. 2 on my board, but it would be great to see him actually prove he can be durable.

Peterson could shut it down right now and still be a very high NBA draft pick, possibly No. 1 overall. If he really doesn’t want to play for Kansas anymore, he doesn’t have to. From the school’s perspective, just getting Peterson healthy for March is the biggest priority. Of course, he hasn’t been healthy all season, so it seems like a stretch that’s ever going to happen. Peterson can be the best player in March Madness if he wants to be, and if his body will allow it to happen. At this point, it seems foolish to expect his availability to significantly change before the end of the season.

Hamstring injuries are a lot scarier than they might sound. Scoot Henderson missed 51 games recovering from a hamstring injury this year. It’s easy to say Peterson should just tough it out and play through his issues, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Kansas needs Peterson more than Peterson needs Kansas. He’s still a lock to be a top-three pick in the NBA Draft regardless how he finishes this season. What NBA teams will really want is clarity on what’s actually wrong with Peterson, and that’s something no one has had all year. College basketball’s strangest story seems to get murkier every week, and there’s about to be more attention on it than ever before with March Madness only a few weeks away.

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Lamine Yamal: jersey number 19, 18 years old, left-footed, with the world at his feet.

The first three descriptions could just as easily apply to a certain Argentine who arrived on the world’s biggest stage two decades ago.

But they arrived at vastly different points in their careers.

When Lionel Messi came off the bench against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, sporting his shaggy, long-haired look, he had made just 34 senior appearances for Barcelona and scored nine goals. Those figures pale beside Yamal’s. By the time the Spanish youngster arrived at his first World Cup, he had already made more than four times as many senior club appearances as Messi had before his debut, scoring 49 goals along the way while providing 52 assists.

The tournament in North America, then, appeared perfectly set up for Yamal to begin building his legacy. Things, however, have not quite fallen into place. The guile, trickery and eagerness to take on his man at any given moment are still there. Just ask Austria’s Konrad Laimer, who was nutmegged thrice in the first half during the Round-of-32 clash.

But the “end product”, as pundits and their at-home imitators like to call it, has been lacking.

Injuries and the resulting reduction in minutes have had their effect, but even so, Spain has largely cruised through the tournament apart from that opening blip against a valiant Cape Verde. Despite his lack of cutting edge in this tournament, Yamal has managed to find ways to tilt games in Spain’s favour.

In the 352 minutes he has featured so far, Yamal has completed 23 take-ons, the joint-most in the tournament with Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. (23), who has played 154 more minutes. Moreover, his 6.4 ball progressions per 90 (total 25) put him inside the top four per cent of all players at the quadrennial tournament, with only Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius having more (26 each).

With each duel won, the pitch’s centre of gravity slowly shifts towards him, leaving Spain’s central attacking players, such as Dani Olmo and Pedri, more space to work with. First, one man tries his luck. Then there are two. Before long, an entire flank is occupied with trying to contain the teenager.

That, in turn, frees Spain’s left side to be more adventurous, from Marc Cucurella at the back to Alex Baena in the final third. With Yamal’s counterpart on that side, Nico Williams, still yet to fully recover from injury, Baena, who lacks the explosiveness of the youngster, manages to get enough breathing room to fashion chances.

Against Austria, all three goals scored by Spain were created from the left wing, with Cucurella providing two assists and Baena one. In fact, in both of La Roja’s knockout fixtures, the left side has produced a higher percentage of progressive passes.

How Lamine Yamal creates space and shapes Spain’s attack at the World Cup Lamine Yamal: jersey number 19, 18 years old, left-footed, with the world at his feet.The first three descriptions could just as easily apply to a certain Argentine who arrived on the world’s biggest stage two decades ago.But they arrived at vastly different points in their careers.When Lionel Messi came off the bench against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, sporting his shaggy, long-haired look, he had made just 34 senior appearances for Barcelona and scored nine goals. Those figures pale beside Yamal’s. By the time the Spanish youngster arrived at his first World Cup, he had already made more than four times as many senior club appearances as Messi had before his debut, scoring 49 goals along the way while providing 52 assists.The tournament in North America, then, appeared perfectly set up for Yamal to begin building his legacy. Things, however, have not quite fallen into place. The guile, trickery and eagerness to take on his man at any given moment are still there. Just ask Austria’s Konrad Laimer, who was nutmegged thrice in the first half during the Round-of-32 clash.But the “end product”, as pundits and their at-home imitators like to call it, has been lacking.Injuries and the resulting reduction in minutes have had their effect, but even so, Spain has largely cruised through the tournament apart from that opening blip against a valiant Cape Verde. Despite his lack of cutting edge in this tournament, Yamal has managed to find ways to tilt games in Spain’s favour.In the 352 minutes he has featured so far, Yamal has completed 23 take-ons, the joint-most in the tournament with Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. (23), who has played 154 more minutes. Moreover, his 6.4 ball progressions per 90 (total 25) put him inside the top four per cent of all players at the quadrennial tournament, with only Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius having more (26 each).With each duel won, the pitch’s centre of gravity slowly shifts towards him, leaving Spain’s central attacking players, such as Dani Olmo and Pedri, more space to work with. First, one man tries his luck. Then there are two. Before long, an entire flank is occupied with trying to contain the teenager.That, in turn, frees Spain’s left side to be more adventurous, from Marc Cucurella at the back to Alex Baena in the final third. With Yamal’s counterpart on that side, Nico Williams, still yet to fully recover from injury, Baena, who lacks the explosiveness of the youngster, manages to get enough breathing room to fashion chances.Against Austria, all three goals scored by Spain were created from the left wing, with Cucurella providing two assists and Baena one. In fact, in both of La Roja’s knockout fixtures, the left side has produced a higher percentage of progressive passes.Spain’s progressive passes against Austria and Portugal. | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYSpain’s progressive passes against Austria and Portugal. | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYOn Yamal’s side of the pitch, containing him has proved difficult even for some of the world’s best defenders. Against Portugal, he came up against Nuno Mendes, arguably one of the finest left-backs at the tournament, and stretched him to his limits.Mendes was eventually forced off early in the second half after picking up an injury during one final defensive effort that prevented Yamal’s cross from reaching a teammate.After the game, Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, heaped praise on Yamal, asserting that he “generated a lot of fear” in the opponent.“For me, Lamine has played one of the most important matches of his life. Beyond whether he was brilliant or not, for me, it has been one of the matches that will help him grow the most. When he had the ball, he always created doubt and uncertainty for the opponent,” ‌de la Fuente said.Nelson Semedo, who replaced Mendes, found Yamal harder to contain, forcing Portuguese left winger Joao Felix to contribute more defensively. Consequently, Portugal’s attack suffered, with Felix failing to register a single shot or cross in his 71 minutes on the pitch, most of which he spent away from the zone he was supposed to dominate.Joao Felix’s heat map against Spain.  | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYJoao Felix’s heat map against Spain.  | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYOver the years, many have been touted as the next Messi, and perhaps none have had a start like Yamal’s. But for now, those comparisons can wait. Spain is all that matters to Yamal, and with his noodle hair and silky moves, he still has the world at his feet.The “end product” may yet arrive at this World Cup. But even if it does not, Yamal has already shown why he remains fundamental to Spain’s pursuit of a second title.Published on Jul 10, 2026 #Lamine #Yamal #creates #space #shapes #Spains #attack #World #Cup

Spain’s progressive passes against Austria and Portugal. | Photo Credit: FIFAPHY

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Spain’s progressive passes against Austria and Portugal. | Photo Credit: FIFAPHY

On Yamal’s side of the pitch, containing him has proved difficult even for some of the world’s best defenders. Against Portugal, he came up against Nuno Mendes, arguably one of the finest left-backs at the tournament, and stretched him to his limits.

Mendes was eventually forced off early in the second half after picking up an injury during one final defensive effort that prevented Yamal’s cross from reaching a teammate.

After the game, Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, heaped praise on Yamal, asserting that he “generated a lot of fear” in the opponent.

“For me, Lamine has played one of the most important matches of his life. Beyond whether he was brilliant or not, for me, it has been one of the matches that will help him grow the most. When he had the ball, he always created doubt and uncertainty for the opponent,” ‌de la Fuente said.

Nelson Semedo, who replaced Mendes, found Yamal harder to contain, forcing Portuguese left winger Joao Felix to contribute more defensively. Consequently, Portugal’s attack suffered, with Felix failing to register a single shot or cross in his 71 minutes on the pitch, most of which he spent away from the zone he was supposed to dominate.

Joao Felix’s heat map against Spain. 

Joao Felix’s heat map against Spain.  | Photo Credit: FIFAPHY

lightbox-info

Joao Felix’s heat map against Spain.  | Photo Credit: FIFAPHY

Over the years, many have been touted as the next Messi, and perhaps none have had a start like Yamal’s. But for now, those comparisons can wait. Spain is all that matters to Yamal, and with his noodle hair and silky moves, he still has the world at his feet.

The “end product” may yet arrive at this World Cup. But even if it does not, Yamal has already shown why he remains fundamental to Spain’s pursuit of a second title.

Published on Jul 10, 2026

#Lamine #Yamal #creates #space #shapes #Spains #attack #World #Cup">How Lamine Yamal creates space and shapes Spain’s attack at the World Cup Lamine Yamal: jersey number 19, 18 years old, left-footed, with the world at his feet.The first three descriptions could just as easily apply to a certain Argentine who arrived on the world’s biggest stage two decades ago.But they arrived at vastly different points in their careers.When Lionel Messi came off the bench against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, sporting his shaggy, long-haired look, he had made just 34 senior appearances for Barcelona and scored nine goals. Those figures pale beside Yamal’s. By the time the Spanish youngster arrived at his first World Cup, he had already made more than four times as many senior club appearances as Messi had before his debut, scoring 49 goals along the way while providing 52 assists.The tournament in North America, then, appeared perfectly set up for Yamal to begin building his legacy. Things, however, have not quite fallen into place. The guile, trickery and eagerness to take on his man at any given moment are still there. Just ask Austria’s Konrad Laimer, who was nutmegged thrice in the first half during the Round-of-32 clash.But the “end product”, as pundits and their at-home imitators like to call it, has been lacking.Injuries and the resulting reduction in minutes have had their effect, but even so, Spain has largely cruised through the tournament apart from that opening blip against a valiant Cape Verde. Despite his lack of cutting edge in this tournament, Yamal has managed to find ways to tilt games in Spain’s favour.In the 352 minutes he has featured so far, Yamal has completed 23 take-ons, the joint-most in the tournament with Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. (23), who has played 154 more minutes. Moreover, his 6.4 ball progressions per 90 (total 25) put him inside the top four per cent of all players at the quadrennial tournament, with only Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius having more (26 each).With each duel won, the pitch’s centre of gravity slowly shifts towards him, leaving Spain’s central attacking players, such as Dani Olmo and Pedri, more space to work with. First, one man tries his luck. Then there are two. Before long, an entire flank is occupied with trying to contain the teenager.That, in turn, frees Spain’s left side to be more adventurous, from Marc Cucurella at the back to Alex Baena in the final third. With Yamal’s counterpart on that side, Nico Williams, still yet to fully recover from injury, Baena, who lacks the explosiveness of the youngster, manages to get enough breathing room to fashion chances.Against Austria, all three goals scored by Spain were created from the left wing, with Cucurella providing two assists and Baena one. In fact, in both of La Roja’s knockout fixtures, the left side has produced a higher percentage of progressive passes.Spain’s progressive passes against Austria and Portugal. | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYSpain’s progressive passes against Austria and Portugal. | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYOn Yamal’s side of the pitch, containing him has proved difficult even for some of the world’s best defenders. Against Portugal, he came up against Nuno Mendes, arguably one of the finest left-backs at the tournament, and stretched him to his limits.Mendes was eventually forced off early in the second half after picking up an injury during one final defensive effort that prevented Yamal’s cross from reaching a teammate.After the game, Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, heaped praise on Yamal, asserting that he “generated a lot of fear” in the opponent.“For me, Lamine has played one of the most important matches of his life. Beyond whether he was brilliant or not, for me, it has been one of the matches that will help him grow the most. When he had the ball, he always created doubt and uncertainty for the opponent,” ‌de la Fuente said.Nelson Semedo, who replaced Mendes, found Yamal harder to contain, forcing Portuguese left winger Joao Felix to contribute more defensively. Consequently, Portugal’s attack suffered, with Felix failing to register a single shot or cross in his 71 minutes on the pitch, most of which he spent away from the zone he was supposed to dominate.Joao Felix’s heat map against Spain.  | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYJoao Felix’s heat map against Spain.  | Photo Credit: FIFAPHYOver the years, many have been touted as the next Messi, and perhaps none have had a start like Yamal’s. But for now, those comparisons can wait. Spain is all that matters to Yamal, and with his noodle hair and silky moves, he still has the world at his feet.The “end product” may yet arrive at this World Cup. But even if it does not, Yamal has already shown why he remains fundamental to Spain’s pursuit of a second title.Published on Jul 10, 2026 #Lamine #Yamal #creates #space #shapes #Spains #attack #World #Cup

Deadspin | NBA nixes Kawhi Leonard trade to Raptors pending investigation in Clippers Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) leaves the court after being defeated by the Golden State Warriors during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images An eventual Toronto homecoming might happen for Kawhi Leonard this summer, but a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers back to the Raptors is on hold while the NBA completes its investigation into allegations of impermissible payments to skirt salary-cap rules and fines. In September 2025 the NBA said it was looking into the Clippers for potential violations tied to an allegation they used a company, Aspiration, to pay Leonard million. Nothing was asked of Leonard in the “no-show job” which left open concern it was a loophole to pad the amount of guaranteed money the Clippers offered when they signed him as a free agent. The Raptors, who lost Leonard in that agreement after winning the NBA championship, said in a statement the trade agreed to on June 30 in principle wasn’t off, but the NBA made it clear Toronto “would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi.” “In light of this,” the Raptors said, “we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete.” The Clippers also confirmed the deal was on hold on Thursday, which brings a trove of roster-related questions and complexities for each franchise. Leonard and the Clippers are staying together until the NBA completes the investigation which is 10 months running. The Clippers again denied in a statement Thursday any wrongdoing. “For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation, participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency,” the Clippers said in a statement. “On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. We have since been informed that 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 investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion. “At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.” ESPN also reported Thursday afternoon both teams expect the deal to eventually be finalized with punishment for any violations as established by the NBA likely to include monetary fines and loss of draft picks. Terms of the in-limbo trade had handshake approval on either side with the Clippers receiving All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, third-year guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, one pick swap and two second-round selections in the deal. Leonard, who turned 35 on Monday, is a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the Raptors past the Golden State Warriors in six games, averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the series that delivered Toronto’s only NBA title to date. Leonard averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 60 games with Toronto in 2018-19, his lone season with the team before moving on to the Clippers. During his seven seasons in Los Angeles, he appeared in only 59.7% of the Clippers’ regular-season games (331 of 554) due to a string of injuries. But Leonard capped his run with his finest season since his 2019-20 debut with the Clippers. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points along with 6.4 rebounds in 65 games to earn seventh place in the league’s Most Valuable Player voting as well as his seventh All-Star Game nod. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #NBA #nixes #Kawhi #Leonard #trade #Raptors #pending #investigation #ClippersApr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) leaves the court after being defeated by the Golden State Warriors during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

An eventual Toronto homecoming might happen for Kawhi Leonard this summer, but a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers back to the Raptors is on hold while the NBA completes its investigation into allegations of impermissible payments to skirt salary-cap rules and fines.

In September 2025 the NBA said it was looking into the Clippers for potential violations tied to an allegation they used a company, Aspiration, to pay Leonard $28 million. Nothing was asked of Leonard in the “no-show job” which left open concern it was a loophole to pad the amount of guaranteed money the Clippers offered when they signed him as a free agent.

The Raptors, who lost Leonard in that agreement after winning the NBA championship, said in a statement the trade agreed to on June 30 in principle wasn’t off, but the NBA made it clear Toronto “would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi.”

“In light of this,” the Raptors said, “we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete.”

The Clippers also confirmed the deal was on hold on Thursday, which brings a trove of roster-related questions and complexities for each franchise.

Leonard and the Clippers are staying together until the NBA completes the investigation which is 10 months running. The Clippers again denied in a statement Thursday any wrongdoing.


“For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation, participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency,” the Clippers said in a statement. “On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. We have since been informed that 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 investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.

“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.”

ESPN also reported Thursday afternoon both teams expect the deal to eventually be finalized with punishment for any violations as established by the NBA likely to include monetary fines and loss of draft picks.

Terms of the in-limbo trade had handshake approval on either side with the Clippers receiving All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, third-year guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, one pick swap and two second-round selections in the deal.

Leonard, who turned 35 on Monday, is a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the Raptors past the Golden State Warriors in six games, averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the series that delivered Toronto’s only NBA title to date.

Leonard averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 60 games with Toronto in 2018-19, his lone season with the team before moving on to the Clippers.

During his seven seasons in Los Angeles, he appeared in only 59.7% of the Clippers’ regular-season games (331 of 554) due to a string of injuries. But Leonard capped his run with his finest season since his 2019-20 debut with the Clippers. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points along with 6.4 rebounds in 65 games to earn seventh place in the league’s Most Valuable Player voting as well as his seventh All-Star Game nod.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #NBA #nixes #Kawhi #Leonard #trade #Raptors #pending #investigation #Clippers">Deadspin | NBA nixes Kawhi Leonard trade to Raptors pending investigation in Clippers Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) leaves the court after being defeated by the Golden State Warriors during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images An eventual Toronto homecoming might happen for Kawhi Leonard this summer, but a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers back to the Raptors is on hold while the NBA completes its investigation into allegations of impermissible payments to skirt salary-cap rules and fines. In September 2025 the NBA said it was looking into the Clippers for potential violations tied to an allegation they used a company, Aspiration, to pay Leonard million. Nothing was asked of Leonard in the “no-show job” which left open concern it was a loophole to pad the amount of guaranteed money the Clippers offered when they signed him as a free agent. The Raptors, who lost Leonard in that agreement after winning the NBA championship, said in a statement the trade agreed to on June 30 in principle wasn’t off, but the NBA made it clear Toronto “would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi.” “In light of this,” the Raptors said, “we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete.” The Clippers also confirmed the deal was on hold on Thursday, which brings a trove of roster-related questions and complexities for each franchise. Leonard and the Clippers are staying together until the NBA completes the investigation which is 10 months running. The Clippers again denied in a statement Thursday any wrongdoing. “For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation, participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency,” the Clippers said in a statement. “On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. We have since been informed that 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 investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion. “At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.” ESPN also reported Thursday afternoon both teams expect the deal to eventually be finalized with punishment for any violations as established by the NBA likely to include monetary fines and loss of draft picks. Terms of the in-limbo trade had handshake approval on either side with the Clippers receiving All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, third-year guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, one pick swap and two second-round selections in the deal. Leonard, who turned 35 on Monday, is a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the Raptors past the Golden State Warriors in six games, averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the series that delivered Toronto’s only NBA title to date. Leonard averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 60 games with Toronto in 2018-19, his lone season with the team before moving on to the Clippers. During his seven seasons in Los Angeles, he appeared in only 59.7% of the Clippers’ regular-season games (331 of 554) due to a string of injuries. But Leonard capped his run with his finest season since his 2019-20 debut with the Clippers. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points along with 6.4 rebounds in 65 games to earn seventh place in the league’s Most Valuable Player voting as well as his seventh All-Star Game nod. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #NBA #nixes #Kawhi #Leonard #trade #Raptors #pending #investigation #Clippers

For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation, participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency.

On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. We have since been informed that 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 investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.

At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues.

We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.

#Kawhi #Leonard #Raptors #trade #hold #NBA #finishes #cap #circumvention #investigation">Kawhi Leonard to Raptors trade on hold until NBA finishes cap circumvention investigation For the past 10 months, our organization has fully cooperated with an NBA investigation, participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff. While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency.On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. We have since been informed that 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 investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues.We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing. #Kawhi #Leonard #Raptors #trade #hold #NBA #finishes #cap #circumvention #investigation

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