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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The NBA's investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard is becoming a much bigger headache for the franchise, the league, and now the team that made the blockbuster trade to get him.
According to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, the league's investigation could drag well into 2027 if the Clippers, the NBA, and the National Basketball Association can't agree on the findings or any potential punishment.
The league has spent over 10 months now looking into the situation after allegations emerged surrounding Leonard's $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt green banking company that also had a $300 million partnership with the Clippers.
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The investigation began after reports questioned whether the Aspiration deal was a legitimate endorsement agreement or a way for the organization to provide Leonard additional compensation outside the NBA's salary cap rules.
The Clippers have pushed back against the allegations, maintaining that the Aspiration deal was a legitimate business arrangement and not a way to circumvent the NBA's salary cap rules.
But the biggest question now is what this means for the Toronto Raptors' trade.
The Raptors and Clippers agreed on a trade at the end of June which would have sent the two-time Finals MVP back to Toronto, the team he won a title with in 2019. Raptors fans immediately started dreaming about a potential return to championship contention with one of the league's biggest stars leading the way.
However, the trade can't be finalized until after the NBA investigation is resolved, and now it looks like that might not happen until next year.
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The NBA has reportedly been working toward a resolution, but the situation could become more complicated if the league decides to punish the Clippers and the players' union challenges those findings through arbitration.
Both teams have stated they still intend to move forward with the deal regardless, but the ongoing investigation has put the timeline in limbo.
Leonard remains one of the most talented players in basketball when healthy, but his future has been surrounded by uncertainty. Now, just months before the 2026-27 season begins, two franchises are left with major roster questions tied to an investigation that has no clear end date.
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