According to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, the NBA investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard could drag into 2027 if the parties don’t agree on the findings or any proposed settlement that involves punishing the team.
The trade sending Leonard from the Clippers to the Toronto Raptors is on hold.
The Clippers agreed to trade Leonard to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round picks.
“Sources close to the National Basketball Players Association with knowledge of the investigation said the union wouldn’t hesitate to take the matter to arbitration if the NBA sought penalties without sufficient evidence proving the claim that the Clippers have denied since the league’s probe began nearly 10 months ago. … One source with knowledge of the investigative process cautioned against the idea of any outside parties having inside knowledge of Wachtell Lipton’s findings to date — or of anyone trying to speculate as to whether the length of the investigation signals what the law firm has or hasn’t found,” Holmes wrote.
“If the NBA presented indisputable circumvention evidence after an investigation that began in September 2025 following a series of podcasts from former ESPN contributor Pablo Torre, then those sources suggested a process could follow that avoids arbitration with all sides agreeing on both the finding and the potential discipline. … The Clippers remain adamant that they did not funnel money to Leonard through Aspiration, and one source close to the team with knowledge of the investigation said that the team would ‘fight that to the end,’ including through arbitration. … Sources who have known and worked with Adam Silver for years have repeatedly told ESPN that they do not expect him to be swayed by public attention in this case, one way or another.
“As one source explained, if the league ignored evidence that implicated the Clippers, then the cover-up would become a story; and if the league sought punishment without evidence, then the overreach would become a story. The source said they had full confidence that Silver would ‘play it straight,’ based on the facts, as Silver has said he would do throughout the inquiry.”
In the summer of 2019, Leonard left the Raptors for the Clippers, who acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Leonard and George were teammates in Los Angeles for five seasons before George left the Clippers for the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2024.
The Clippers, who traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers last season, have never made the NBA Finals in franchise history. Leonard has one year left on his contract. He will make $50.3 million next season.
A future Hall of Famer, Leonard put up 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season. The swingman played in 65 games, the most games he’s played in since the 2023-24 season.
However, the Clippers missed the playoffs after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 9-10 play-in game at home.
A top-75 player of all time, Leonard has played for the Spurs, Raptors and Clippers. He holds career averages of 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the regular season and 21.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in the playoffs.
Leonard is a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Star. He has been interviewed by NBA investigators.
