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The NBA investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard is still ongoing. The Clippers reportedly attempted to circumvent the NBA salary cap by paying money to Leonard through a bankrupt company called Aspiration. No verdict has been reached on the scam; However, the Clippers may lose Leonard.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix joins Rachel Nichols on Open Floor to discuss the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers. Although nothing has been disclosed by the NBA, there is a possibility that Leonard’s contract could be voided.

“It is relevant as [Kawhi Leonard]contract,” Mannix said. “If [the NBA] Decides that ‘Hey, we can void Kawhi’s contract because we deem it invalid because of how this all came together.’ There’s a lot – I mean, there’s as much discussion about anything in the NBA right now. Anything. “Every field I go to, I hear about it, every conversation I have with league and team officials, this comes up.”

This would not be the first time that the NBA has canceled a contract. In 2000, the NBA voided Joe Smith’s contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves after circumventing the salary cap. There is precedent for a voided contract, and the Clippers could face similar penalties with Leonard.

Other possible penalties for Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

There are other potential penalties for Leonard and the Clippers. If the NBA gets things wrong with Los Angeles, the organization could be stripped of multiple first-round selections, fined a large amount of money, and face a suspension or worse in the basketball personnel department.

With Minnesota, the NBA stripped the organization of five first-round selections, fined the organization $3.5 million, and suspended Timberwolves executives Kevin McHale and Glenn Taylor. The Clippers could face a similar punishment that would cripple the organization’s future.

As far as Leonard is concerned, the biggest penalty would be to cancel the contract with the Clippers, but suspension or fine cannot be ruled out. It all depends on what the NBA finds in its investigation. If the NBA voids the superstar’s contract, it would likely spark a bidding war in free agency, if not his future in jeopardy.

It’s unclear when the NBA will reveal its findings and potential penalties, but the Clippers may be on the verge of a watershed moment in team history. If the NBA decides to give up, it will have a huge impact on Los Angeles’ future and set the organization back for a long time.

It would start with Leonard’s contract being voided, which would shock the NBA.

READ MORE: Rumor opens door to Spurs and Kawhi Leonard reuniting this summer

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky

The aspiration scandal has engulfed the Los Angeles Clippers following Pablo Torre’s initial reporting on his podcast last fall. on his podcast Pablo Torre found outTorre has made extensive reporting alleging that Kawhi Leonard has signed a secret $28 million endorsement deal with eco-friendly tech company, Aspiration.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer served as a major investor in the company, paying Leonard $7 million per year to become the company’s brand ambassador for four years. However, as Torre pointed out in his reporting, there is no evidence of Leonard serving as an ambassador for the brand, leading to speculation that the deal with the Aspirations was a way for the Clippers to circumvent the cap and give Kawhi additional incentive to play with the Clippers.

According to a report from The Athletic, Torre’s reporting sparked an investigation by the NBA, and many in NBA circles believe the Clippers are destined to receive harsh punishment for what happened.

The report stated, “In the weeks before Ballmer’s big party, there was a notable increase in league-wide speculation that the NBA’s hammer was likely to fall on the Clippers. This was a marked change from earlier in the season, when many believed the Leonard/Aspiration scandal would come and go without any concrete punishment.”

Adam Silver spoke about the incident and the investigation during a media availability over All-Star weekend. All-Star weekend was held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Los Angeles.

He said, “I have not yet reached any decisions on the Clippers matter. As you know, the league office is not directly running the investigation. It is being overseen by Wachtel, a law firm in New York. From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been completely cooperative. But as I said, I’m not involved day-to-day in the investigation.”

He then continued to outline the complexity of the investigation, according to comments secured by The Athletic.

“I think, as I’ve said before, it’s extremely complicated. You have a company in bankruptcy (Aspiration, which gave Leonard a no-show endorsement deal that was allegedly facilitated by the Clippers). You have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that need to be interviewed. I would say, if anyone is wondering, the fact that the All-Star is here this weekend has no bearing on the timeline of the investigation. “It’s our charge to the Wachtel Law Firm (to) do the work and then come back and make recommendations to the league office, and that’s where things stand now.”

Despite the investigation and early season troubles, in which the team unceremoniously released Chris Paul, the Clippers have been playing great over the past few months. They sit at 26–28 and have struggled to get back into the playoff picture as a play-in team; They are just one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently ninth in the standings.

Leonard is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals on 49.1% shooting and 91% from the free-throw line per game. So far, he has played 41 games this season – four games more than the 37 games he played in the 2024-2025 season. But despite their exceptional play and increased year-to-year numbers, the Aspiration scandal still remains a major topic around the team, and it could impact the winning streak Los Angeles is starting to have.

The Clippers are set to host the Nuggets tonight at 10:30 PM Eastern.