One of the NBA offseason’s most closely watched moves — the Toronto Raptors’ effort to bring Kawhi Leonard back to Canada — is still stuck in limbo as the league continues probing whether the Los Angeles Clippers skirted salary-cap rules through an alleged no-show sponsorship arrangement involving Leonard and Aspiration, the now-defunct carbon credits company.
The NBA’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers has been underway for roughly 10 months, with many around the league expecting clarity before the offseason fully arrived. Instead, the new league year opened without any official ruling, timeline or disciplinary decision. Both the Raptors and Clippers issued statements last week after the deal was paused, with Toronto reportedly being told by the NBA that it would take on the risk of any possible penalty connected to Leonard.
On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the probe has not only been delayed but has also “grown in scope,” now extending beyond the Aspiration matter to examine other potential improper benefits tied to Leonard, including expenses allegedly covered by the Clippers and a possible second endorsement agreement that had not previously been disclosed.
According to The Athletic, the Clippers, Leonard and the Raptors are all waiting for the league’s findings while the inquiry has expanded from its original focus. Multiple sources, granted anonymity to discuss the matter candidly, told the outlet that Wachtell Lipton — the law firm frequently used by the NBA for major investigations — has reviewed whether the Clippers helped arrange the Aspiration sponsorship in a way that violated salary-cap rules. The firm has also examined whether the organization paid certain Leonard-related expenses without being reimbursed, as well as whether Leonard had another undisclosed endorsement deal with a separate company.
That development is significant, and it helps explain why the NBA’s review has taken longer than many initially expected.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the matter Tuesday following the league’s Board of Governors meetings in Las Vegas, offering a clearer sense of when the investigation could finally be resolved.
“I would say this can be wrapped up — and needs to be wrapped up — before next season,” Silver said.
Regarding the Aspiration portion of the case, The Athletic also reported that it obtained images from an abandoned marketing campaign featuring Leonard in a concept reminiscent of Marvel’s Groot, connecting his known interest in comics with Aspiration’s promise to plant trees as part of its carbon-offset business model.
That ill-fated campaign never got off the ground, but it does provide at least some evidence of an effort to make Leonard’s partnership with Aspiration publicly known. Why that didn’t come to fruition will be of interest to the league’s investigation, with a former employee telling The Athletic they were told to “stop thinking about Kawhi, this feels like a dead end.”
The Clippers said they “expect the [Leonard] trade to be finalized” once the investigation is complete. The team said it has “fully cooperated” by “participating in dozens of interviews, providing tens of thousands of documents, and facilitating access to our staff.”
“While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency,” the team said.
