But all along, there has been a quiet confidence that the trade would ultimately go forward and league business would be able to resume in time for training camps opening on Sept. 28. Keep in mind that the only month on the NBA calendar where the league goes relatively dormant is August. Don’t underestimate a collective will to leave it all until the first week of September when everyone is back at work. Even reports last week, in a story in ESPN that the investigation could “drag into 2027” if the NBPA and/or the Clippers took whatever punishment Silver decided on to a potentially lengthy arbitration process, were interpreted positively as an indication that the parties involved were setting the parameters for negotiating a more acceptable — or at least tolerable — outcome for all concerned. Which is always worth keeping in mind for Raptors fans trying to understand if the Leonard trade will ultimately go through or not: everyone involved in this saga, from the Clippers, to the Raptors, to Leonard, to the league itself, shares a common interest in putting it behind them.
