Chances are, former Toronto Raptor Kawhi Leonard will still end up being a Toronto Raptor again. 

There is even a world — a dreamy, distant world where streets are paved with gold and faucets drip honey — where the seven-time All-NBA selection becomes a Raptor under terms that seem almost fantastical. 

But to be clear: chances are Leonard rejoins the Raptors under terms identical to the trade that has been widely reported — although not officially announced. That is: the Los Angeles Clippers star comes to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, rights to the Raptors' first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, the right to swap positions with the Raptors in the first round of the 2027 draft and two second-round picks, and everyone gets on with their lives. 

But there are some fairly significant issues to be resolved before any of that happens, which is why the Raptors announced on Thursday that the Leonard trade is on hold for the moment. 

What changed since the deal was largely agreed to on June 30 was that the NBA league office — which has been investigating the circumstances around which Leonard signed his current contract with the Clippers for possible salary cap circumvention — told the Raptors that they (the Raptors) would “assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi,” the team said in a statement. 

The Raptors added: “In light of this, we will wait until the league's investigation is complete. The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans.”

I should add that a spokesman for the NBA made clear that the league was willing to approve the trade, it’s just that they wanted to be upfront that the Raptors would have to deal with any fallout that hit Leonard.

As well, this scenario only applies to Leonard and his contract. The Raptors aren’t inheriting any risk as it relates to punishment that could end up hitting the Clippers franchise. 

But in total, no one wants a situation where the trade is completed, Leonard is hit with severe penalties, the Raptors are left in the lurch and the league has egg on its face. It’s not quite the same scenario as when the Charlotte Hornets traded Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat while Rozier was part of a gambling probe by the FBI, leaving the Heat out a first-round pick for an untradeable player, but the echoes are there. The league doesn’t want teams trading for players without at least having alerted all involved to the potential risks. 

So what........

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