The NBA’s investigation into possible salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard is still moving, and Steve Ballmer is already in direct discussions with investigators, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Speaking Thursday on ESPN LA 710, Shelburne said the case is no longer just in the gathering stage.
“I know that the investigators have presented initial findings, but they’re still making calls and putting things together. But they are having conversations with Ballmer and his lawyers already,” Shelburne told ESPN LA 710.
“They’re talking about it. I don’t know if you would call it a settlement or some kind of negotiation, but that’s already happening.”
What those talks have centered on, Shelburne said, is not direct proof that Ballmer intentionally engineered a cap workaround for Leonard. Instead, the focus has been on how Ballmer handled the situation after making the initial introductions between Leonard and team sponsors.
“The conversations have been more about this failure to supervise and the nature of the introductions that were made between the Clippers and Kawhi’s people rather than direct evidence of salary cap circumvention done by Steve Ballmer,” Shelburne added. “If you’re doing the easy parlance, that would be the murder charge. That’s a really serious charge that’s very hard to prove.”
Shelburne also suggested that while the league may not pursue that level of allegation, other penalties tied to Ballmer’s role and his lack of oversight remain possible.
Once the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz law firm finishes its investigation, any punishment is expected to be challenged right away, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported. That could drag the process out for months or even years. Siegel also noted that the players union could become involved through arbitration if the league hands down a penalty on its own instead of reaching a settlement.
For now, Toronto is still waiting to learn whether it can finish the pending trade for Leonard that was agreed to on June 30. Shelburne said the Clippers would be willing to keep Leonard if the Raptors end up backing out of the deal.
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Raptors Face A Brutal Kawhi Question As Trade Uncertainty Drags On
The Raptors are still waiting for clarity on a deal that would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft picks to the Clippers for Kawhi Leonard, with the trade reported but then paused while the league sorted through questions tied to the Clippers. For Toronto, the uncertainty is the headline now, because the basketball side of the move is only part of the equation when a transaction of this size gets pulled into an NBA review.
The investigation reportedly did not turn up evidence of wrongdoing, but the league also said some of the media reporting around it was inaccurate, leaving both sides in a holding pattern. Until there is more certainty from the NBA, the Raptors are left to wait on whether this remains a blockbuster idea or turns back into one of those near-misses that hangs around long after the rumor mill has moved on. [Read more 🡒]