NBA Still Not Done With ‘Enormously Complex’ Clippers Investigation

LOS ANGELES — Steve Ballmer and the Clippers are hosting their biggest event since the Intuit Dome opened in 2024.

But hanging over All-Star weekend is the NBA’s  ongoing investigation into the organization over its relationship with failed environmental startup Aspiration. The Clippers allegedly used the company to pay Kawhi Leonard off the books, which would be a circumvention of the league’s salary cap. 

In his press conference Saturday, Silver called the Clippers owner a “fantastic host,” but didn’t hint as to when the league could conclude its investigation. 

“I haven’t come to any decisions whatsoever yet on the Clippers matter,” Silver told reporters. “As you know, the league office is not directly running the investigation, that’s being overseen by a law firm, Wachtell in New York. From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been fully cooperative. But as I’ve said, I’m not involved day-to-day in the investigation. I think I’ve said before, it’s enormously complex. You have a company in bankruptcy, you have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that needed to be interviewed.” 

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, who recently signed a contract extension, said the team’s recent move to trade James Harden wasn’t because of a looming punishment from the NBA. 

“We haven’t learned anything more than we have in September,” Frank told reporters on Monday. “We know it’s out there, we know at some point there’ll be a decision made. We very much feel the same thing that we told you back in September, that we’re on the right side of this. It really doesn’t impact anything we do on a daily basis.”

Leonard was initially left off the All-Star roster despite a stellar season in which he is averaging a career-high 27.9 points. Before Silver’s press conference, Leonard was asked on Saturday if he thought he was left off the roster because of the investigation. 

“I don’t think so,” Leonard told reporters. “I don’t think Adam Silver would let something like that play into how a player is playing on the court.”

Similarly, Silver said the team’s status as All-Star host had no bearing, and he had no update on potential punishments. 

“The fact that All Star is here this weekend has had no impact on the timeline of the investigation,” Silver said. “Our charge to the Wachtell law firm is do the work, and then come back and make recommendations to the league office. And that’s where things now stand.”