The NBA’s investigation into the Clippers has become an absolute mess
It’s been 11 months since the NBA opened a formal investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers for salary cap circumvention, and somehow Adam Silver has only made it worse. We are no closer to knowing what exactly happened, there’s backbiting occurring between the NBA and the media — but more concerning is a pervasive opacity […]
Since May 2015, the NBA has been conducting a formal investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers for salary cap circumvention. The probe, which began after Pablo Torre's reporting on Kawhi Leonard's undisclosed endorsement deals, has become a convoluted mess.
Torre's allegations in September 2025 revolved around Leonard's $28M no-show deal with Aspiration, a green energy company that functionally listed him as an employee. The NBA also found another undisclosed endorsement deal with Daktronics, the makers of the Clippers' video board.
ESPN's reporting, which initially quieted down after Torre's initial story, later suggested that the NBA's investigation would come to a close, absolving NBA owner Steve Ballmer. However, this claim was subsequently refuted by the league.
The NBA has been relatively quiet, and the investigation has dragged on for almost a year. Clippers owner Ballmer has maintained that he was merely an introducer between Leonard and companies he did business with, without any knowledge of the deals.
The NBA denies the ESPN report, claiming it contains "numerous and significant inaccuracies." However, the league has not provided specific details on what they deny. The NBA and the Clippers are reportedly working together on a resolution to the investigation, a development that should never happen. The NBA's approach to this investigation has been criticized for prioritizing profit and expansion over fairness and competitive balance.
Written by urgent.news from SB Nation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
