Clippers and Kawhi Leonard face new cap-evasion probe over alleged Daktronics deal

New evidence adds to the NBA’s ongoing probe of the Los Angeles Clippers and star forward Kawhi Leonard, alleging a secret sponsorship with Daktronics, the company that supplied the Intuit Dome's double-sided 4K display. One outlet described the arrangement as a "1,000%" method to bypass the league’s salary-cap rules, and suggested the Clippers, not Daktronics, financed the multimillion-dollar endorsement. This follows a separate investigation into a $28 million deal with Aspiration Partners that also appears to have been concealed.

The league’s outside counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, is in its tenth month of reviewing the matters, with Commissioner Adam Silver aiming to conclude the case before the upcoming season. Both Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard deny any misconduct, attributing the allegations to fraud linked to Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg. The ongoing investigation has stalled a trade proposal involving the Toronto Raptors.