The NBA’s investigation into a potentially fraudulent Kawhi Leonard sponsorship deal has expanded to look into multiple suspicious issues.
The NBA has investigated whether Leonard had a second previously unreported endorsement deal with another company, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. There has also been an investigation into whether the Clippers improperly covered certain expenses for Leonard without being reimbursed for them.
Initially, the investigation was focused on whether the Clippers used a company called Aspiration to funnel money to Leonard while circumventing the salary cap. The other investigations are beyond the initial scope, suggesting the league found some things they found suspicious while looking into the Aspiration deal.
The Clippers have repeatedly denied the initial allegations relating to Aspiration.
The NBA seemed to be moving toward a conclusion in June and had interviewed many of the key figures in the allegations. Presumably, they were also looking into these additional issues by that point, though it is not clear when the scope of the investigation actually widened.
The Clippers could face stiff punishments if the league finds that the organization illegally circumvented the salary cap. In addition, the trade sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors is on hold until the investigation concludes.
