Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[HoosierDaddyKid]

While the LA Clippers, Leonard, and now the Raptors all wait for a conclusion, the investigation has grown in scope since it began, according to multiple sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity to speak freely. Not only has Wachtell Lipton, the league’s go-to law firm hired to conduct the inquiry, inspected whether the Clippers circumvented the NBA salary cap by facilitating a sponsorship deal for Leonard with Aspiration, it has also looked into whether the Clippers improperly covered expenses for Leonard but were not reimbursed for them, those sources said. And the firm has examined if Leonard had a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company, those sources said. While a team source denied that the delay is an implication that Toronto fears or expects some penalty, it does show how the probe is already creating consequences even as it continues to examine possible cap circumvention by the Clippers. Former Aspiration CEO Andrei Cherny signed off on the contract with Leonard, though Sanberg brought the Clippers star in, multiple sources said. The sponsorship deal, sources said, was worth significantly more than the endorsement deals Aspiration reached with the musician Drake, who invested $4 million and received carbon credits, and actor Robert Downey Jr., who received less than $2 million in equity. Sanberg also gave Leonard $20 million in equity in the company, The Athletic reported in September. The deal with the Clippers and a relationship with Ballmer was driven by Sandberg, sources said. Ballmer had “a great relationship with Joe,” one former Aspiration executive said, beyond just sharing a dais during a 2021 news conference that announced Aspiration as a jersey patch partner for the Clippers.

New York Times


And the plot thickens...