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· collected 2026-09-06 · by Doug Smith
The article is a mailbag section from a sports column, where readers write in with their opinions on various topics related to the Toronto Raptors and the NBA. A Canadian reader named Ryan expresses concern that the Raptors' trade for Kawhi Leonard may be "ethically wrong" due to allegations of tampering by the Los Angeles Clippers. The columnist, Doug Smith, responds by saying that the Raptors have likely investigated Leonard's character and found him suitable for their team, and that acquiring a top-15 talent is a no-brainer from a basketball perspective.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
As you can imagine, there is one overriding theme to Ye Olde Mailbag this week and it’s a deep one that covers many angles.
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that → imagine → angles
And, thankfully, once we get the trade officially approved and any contract extension with Kawhi Leonard signed, we can catch our breath before training camp begins.
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camp → get → breath
I, for one, will welcome that.
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I → welcome → that
I’m a Canadian who’s lived in San Diego for 20 years.
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who → ’m → years
Just listened to “First Take” (on ESPN) and part of me thinks the Raptors should not go through with the Kawhi Leonard trade.
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Raptors → listen → trade
It just seems so ethically wrong.
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It → seem → ?
How do the Raptors turn somewhat of a blind eye on this?
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Raptors → turn → this
They can’t prove Leonard knew — come on.
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Leonard → prove → ?
Burying your head in the sand and collecting whatever money someone hands you is problematic at the very least and it speaks to his character.
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it → bury → character
I think it is what it is from a league standpoint at this point, but the Raptors should be going “maybe not on this one.”
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Raptors → think → one
Nobody will care when the league year starts and this is just all about winning?
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this → care → winning
I’ve been following you from the beginning.
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I → follow → beginning
If there’s one thing the Raptors know, it’s that they have a tremendous amount of first-hand experience to lead them to the decision to make the trade.
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they → ’ → trade
The last thing they did was bury their heads in the sand.
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they → do → sand
If there were concerns or questions about his character, obviously they have been answered well enough to Raptors management and ownership.
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they → be → management
From a basketball move, they are getting a top-15 talent.
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they → get → talent
That’s a no-brainer move to me.
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That → ’ → me
It will be interesting to see how the fans react to Leonard.
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fans → see → Leonard
I guarantee his teammates and coaches will be overjoyed that he’s on their team.
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he → guarantee → team
Does ESPN have egg all over its face with its bombshell report about the NBA having nothing on the Clippers: “Sources: NBA has no evidence Ballmer funneled money to Leonard via sponsors”?
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Ballmer → have → sponsors
This report was immediately countered by the NBA saying the report “contains numerous and significant inaccuracies.”
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report → counter → inaccuracies
We found out this week there was plenty on the Clippers.
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We → find → Clippers
Who’s at fault here?
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Who → ’ → fault
Should ESPN stick to breaking trade info?
—Paul M.
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ESPN → stick → info
ESPN certainly did not come out well on that story and it’s on them.
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it → come → them
Not necessarily the reporters, but the editors and bosses who either didn’t insist on second sources or let a report be published that was incomplete at best.
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that → insist → sources
All we can hope for is that internal investigations result in some needed checks and balances on the use of unnamed sources.
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investigations → hope → sources
To me, it looked like ESPN got played like a fiddle.
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ESPN → look → fiddle
Doug, how is it possible that Leonard, the chief beneficiary of the debacle, escaped with a mere rap on the knuckles?
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Leonard → escape → knuckles
Is the league so beholding to its stars that it is willing to let them off so lightly?
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it → let → them
I understand the questions about the severity, or lack thereof, of Leonard’s penalty.
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I → understand → penalty
I haven’t had a chance to ask anyone how they arrived at $700,000 U.S. (it seems an odd amount) but I do hold that the overall punishment — the harshest in NBA history for financial shenanigans — means the league decided Leonard was not as responsible as others in the affair.
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Leonard → have → affair
That’s not going to satisfy people, I get that, and I am sure the league knows it.
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league → go → it
But having read the report and seen who got hit with what penalties, the league apportioned blame as it saw fit.
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it → read → blame
Given what they hammered others with they didn’t go lightly, and that they only hit Leonard with that financial penalty must have satisfied them.
On the recent ESPN report claiming the NBA found no circumvention: This claim, attributed to ESPN, made the rounds through various news media with viral speed including, I think, your story.
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I → give → story
Obviously ESPN got it wrong.
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it → get → ?
Tied to this the Clippers claim: “What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly.”
uncertain
it → tie → what
We can feel confident ESPN did not simply make this story up.
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ESPN → feel → story
Could ESPN’s source for their false story be either the same source that the Clippers are talking about, or could it be from the Clippers themselves?
uncertain
it → talk → Clippers
Related question: If your source gives you seriously false information — as in this case — what are the obligations of the journalist?
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obligations → give → journalist
…and 37 more, not listed.
