The league's months-long probe could finally have an ending in sight.
After months of waiting, the NBA's investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer has taken a major turn.
ESPN's Baxter Holmes, Ramona Shelburne, Shams Charania, and Don Van Natta Jr. reported on Monday that the league has found no evidence showing Ballmer funneled money through team sponsors to pay Kawhi Leonard in order to get around the salary cap.
The news comes almost a full year after the NBA first opened its probe into the matter back in September 2025.
What the ESPN Report Found
The investigation, which was led by law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, looked into Leonard's endorsement deals with companies that also did business with the Clippers, including Aspiration, Daktronics, and Boingo.
While the league did not find proof that Ballmer funneled money to Leonard, it is still looking at whether the team broke league rules by connecting him with those sponsors and whether the Clippers failed to properly supervise their employees.
The Clippers released a statement shortly after the report, saying the team "introduced players, including Kawhi Leonard, to companies with which we had business relationships" and called it a normal practice across the NBA.
The NBA and spokesman Mike Bass have also released a statement, saying that ESPN’s story on the investigations has “numerous and significant inaccuracies.”
The team also said it did not negotiate or control the terms of any of Leonard's endorsement deals.
The investigation has been one of the most closely watched storylines heading into the offseason, and the lack of direct evidence is a big win for both Ballmer and the franchise.
What This Means for the Kawhi Leonard Trade
The Clippers and Raptors agreed to a deal on June 30 that would send Leonard to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 pick swap, and two second-rounders.
But the trade has been stuck ever since the NBA told the Raptors they would take on the risk of any punishment tied to Leonard's contract, and Toronto chose to wait until the investigation wraps up.
Leonard put up 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field in 65 games for a Clippers team that went 42-40 and finished ninth in the Western Conference last season.
The Raptors went 46-36 and earned the fifth seed in the East, with Ingram averaging 21.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 77 games before losing to the Cavaliers in the first round.
Commissioner Adam Silver has said he wants this matter settled before the start of the 2026-27 regular season, and both sides have been working toward a resolution.
There could still be some kind of penalty for the Clippers, but the fact that no direct evidence of funneled payments was found makes it much more likely that the trade goes through before training camp as both teams have been expecting.
