NBA Notes: Raptors, Kawhi Leonard, Grizzlies, Walter Clayton Jr, Mavericks

Raptors

The Raptors want Kawhi Leonard. Leonard wants the Raptors. The Clippers are apparently asking everyone to wait.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Toronto and Leonard are eager to complete the agreed-upon trade that will send him back to the franchise he led to the 2019 championship.

Los Angeles is believed to be responsible for the delay, which has led some around the league to wonder whether the Clippers are dragging things out to spite Leonard or perhaps considering “something even more drastic.”

That would certainly make for a juicier story. It also isn’t what multiple sources continue to tell Stein.

The stated reason remains that the Clippers need to establish a working front-office hierarchy following the suspensions of owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. In other words, there currently aren’t enough authorized people around to finish the paperwork.

Leonard received a comparatively light punishment after the NBA found that Los Angeles circumvented the salary cap, while the Clippers were fined $30 million and stripped of five first-round picks.

So perhaps there are some bruised feelings. Either way, the trade is still expected to happen.

Grizzlies

Walter Clayton Jr. may survive the Grizzlies’ crowded roster after all.

Jake Fischer previously identified Clayton as one of the players in danger of being waived, but has since amended that outlook. Per Stein, Fischer now believes the former first-round pick has “a good chance” to earn a regular-season roster spot.

Memphis currently has 19 players on standard contracts competing for 15 spots. That means four people are going somewhere, even if Clayton isn’t one of them.

Training camp competition is wonderful. It also tends to end with several uncomfortable meetings.

Mavericks

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri continues putting his fingerprints on the front office.

Per Stein, Dallas has hired former Raptors staffers Matt Redfield as assistant general manager and Justin Serresse as a global scout.

The Mavericks also added Blaise Ross from the NBA league office as senior director of salary cap and strategy, while promoting DJ Sewell to manager of salary cap and strategy.

None of those moves will sell jerseys. They do offer another indication that Ujiri is building the operation his way, with several people he already knows and trusts.