Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[KillerLeft]

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers helped arrange secret sponsorship contracts for the star player Kawhi Leonard that circumvented the salary cap, according to people briefed on the matter. The investigation is in its earliest stages and is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, which has a long history of investigating the NBA and professional sports, according to two people. The authorities began scrutinizing the matter before the N.B.A. leveled a series of severe punishments last week against the Clippers, its owner, and two top executives after a law firm working for the N.B.A. and its commissioner, Adam Silver, concluded that the team had engaged in a wide-ranging effort to break its rules. The Clippers and Mr. Ballmer are still trying to figure out how to respond to the punishments from the N.B.A. Among the potential moves they are considering is whether to bring a lawsuit against the league, asking a judge to issue a restraining order, the two people said. The people briefed on the matter cautioned that it was uncertain whether the investigation would lead to criminal charges or even result in evidence being presented to a grand jury. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation.

New York Times

I think this is “don’t test us, Steve, because it could get much worse.”