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NBA Orders Kawhi Leonard Salary-Cap Probe Before Season

7/15/2026

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Summary

Silver Demands Completion

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the salary-cap probe involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers must be completed before the next season.
Silver said he hopes the investigation will finish this summer.
The trade agreed on June 30 that would send Leonard to the Toronto Raptors was paused because the investigation remains open.
If the probe finds cap violations, the league could void Leonard’s contract or fine him up to $350,000.

Summary

Leonard Ad Halted

Images released showed an ad with Kawhi Leonard (forward) as a Groot character for Aspiration’s tree pledge.
An employee said firm told staff to stop thinking about Kawhi Leonard, calling it a dead end, prompting cancellation.
The Clippers said they cooperated, providing dozens of interviews and tens of thousands of documents.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver will address the probe after the Board meets in Las Vegas, seeking resolution for 30 teams.

History

Historical Context

After the NBA’s 2000 $3.5 million Timberwolves fine for secretly exceeding the salary cap, the league intensified enforcement. In 2005 it penalized the New York Knicks and Miami Heat with fines and a lost draft pick for undisclosed contracts, establishing a precedent for voiding deals. Commissioner Adam Silver now cites that precedent while demanding a swift resolution to the Kawhi Leonard cap investigation involving the Clippers and Raptors.

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Silver Demands Completion

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the salary-cap probe involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers must be completed before the next season.
Silver said he hopes the investigation will finish this summer.
The trade agreed on June 30 that would send Leonard to the Toronto Raptors was paused because the investigation remains open.
If the probe finds cap violations, the league could void Leonard’s contract or fine him up to $350,000.

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