Mike Vorkunov: Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg threatened to blow up deal when it wasn't yet finalized. He threatened Clippers execs. Ballmer signed off in April 2022, same month Leonard's deal was executed. NBA report said that the explicit link between violates NBA circumvention rules.
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#threatened

Mike Vorkunov: NBA's investigation also found Clippers made hundreds of payments on behalf of Kawhi Leonard and his family for expenses — such as personal travel, tickets, and gifts — that Leonard was supposed to have repaid by NBA rules but did not. The payments were approved by Frank, NBA says
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#clippers #made #hundreds #vorkunov

The Toronto Raptors confirmed last week that their trade with the Los Angeles Clippers centered around Kawhi Leonard won’t be completed before the NBA wraps an investigation that’s captivated the basketball world. The league hired the law firm Wachtell Lipton to probe into a no-work, multi-million dollar endorsement deal the seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP signed with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental company ensnared in a scandal that revolves around the Clippers potentially circumventing the salary cap.
The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov released a report on Tuesday that divulges more information about the ongoing investigation, which has seemingly grown since its inception. In it, Vorkunov reports that, along with looking into whether the Clippers manipulated the cap by striking a deal with Aspiration for Leonard, Wachtell has inspected if Leonard had a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company.
Plus, the firm has sifted to determine if the Clippers improperly covered expenses for Leonard and weren’t reimbursed for them, according to The Athletic.
If Leonard is punished as a result of the NBA’s investigation, Toronto could back out of its agreed-upon trade, which was first reported on June 30 and is supposed to deliver the 35-year-old Leonard back to the Raptors, with whom he won an NBA championship in 2019. In return, the Clippers have been poised to receive two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram and Gradey ******* as well as first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round selections in 2030 and 2033 and a first-round pick swap in 2027, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Early last month, at NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s annual news conference leading up to the NBA Finals, he didn’t specify when Wachtell Lipton’s investigation report will arrive on his desk, although he did say it was “close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up.”

Mike Vorkunov: Federal prosecutors say Beasley had millions of dollars in gambling losses and Davis loaned him money. Beasley, prosecutors say, worked off that debt as part of this betting scheme. The scheme included 4 games during the 2023-24 season while Beasley was on the Bucks, feds allege
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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Federal prosecutors say Beasley had millions of …