The investigation involving Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers, and Aspiration over alleged salary cap circumvention is presumed to be over, with the NBA now evaluating potential punishments that could be handed down.
In his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic believes that the Kawhi Leonard investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers' salary cap-circumventing case has already reached its end.
Kawhi Leonard
Position SF, SG
Age 35
Height 198 cm
Weight 102 kg
Birth place Riverside, United States of America
Right now, the NBA is only evaluating and deciding what punishments might be handed out to the figures involved.
"The investigation, I think, is over now. The NBA is kind of sifting through what the law firm they hired has found, deciding whether there's a punishment or not that it wants to levy," Vorkunov said.
"The process forward is a little bit complicated. They can maybe reach a settlement if they feel like there's a punishment and something to do there with the Clippers and Steve Ballmer. The NBPA will get involved, and obviously Kawhi if there's something there for him too. ... There’s an appeals process that's also written into the CBA, so that can make the process go even longer. There's a bit of a known unknown here coming up."
NBA still yet to announce conclusion on Kawhi Leonard Aspiration case
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver previously addressed that the investigation around the Los Angeles Clippers' salary cap circumventing attempts for Kawhi Leonard is expected to be concluded this summer.
Led by Manhattan law firm Wachtell Lipton, the league continues to look into whether the Clippers handed under-the-table money to Leonard through the now-bankrupt green financial firm Aspiration back in 2022.
ESPN's Shams Charania noted that the superstar forward could face major penalties from the investigation, with the worst-case scenarios including a voided contract or a full-season suspension.
Due to the ongoing investigation, the Clippers' offseason trade of Leonard to the Toronto Raptors is still pending, with both teams agreeing to wait until the final decision by the league on the probe is revealed.
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