The NBA is pushing back — hard — against a new ESPN report about its investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard.
And that pushback could be especially important for the blockbuster trade that would send Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors and Brandon Ingram to Los Angeles.
Hours after ESPN published a detailed update Monday on the investigation, NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass issued an unusually pointed statement challenging the network’s reporting.
“ESPN’s article regarding the LA Clippers investigation — for which the NBA declined to cooperate — contains numerous and significant inaccuracies,” Bass said. “The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.”
The league did not specify what ESPN got wrong.
That distinction matters because ESPN’s report appeared to provide one of the most encouraging developments yet for a Leonard-Ingram trade that has been frozen while the NBA determines whether the Clippers violated salary-cap rules.
Now, the league is making clear that the investigation isn’t finished and its findings shouldn’t be considered settled.
NBA Disputes ESPN Report on Salary Cap Circumvention Investigation Findings
Getty Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer before a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Intuit Dome on February 4, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Baxter Holmes and Ramona Shelburne reported Monday that NBA investigators have found no evidence Ballmer funneled money through Clippers sponsors to Leonard in an attempt to circumvent the salary cap.
The league’s inquiry reportedly remains focused on other questions, including whether the Clippers’ practice of introducing Leonard to sponsors could itself constitute circumvention and whether the organization could face a “failure to supervise” finding.
ESPN also reported that the NBA and Clippers have been discussing a potential resolution, with one source characterizing those talks as “spirited.”
But Bass’ response casts uncertainty over ESPN’s characterization of where the investigation currently stands.
That’s particularly relevant in Toronto.
The Raptors agreed June 30 to acquire Leonard from the Clippers in exchange for Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round picks.
The deal has not been completed.
Toronto and Los Angeles instead agreed to put the trade on hold after the NBA informed the Raptors they would assume the risk of any punishment affecting Leonard if they completed the transaction before the investigation ended.
That has effectively tied the fate of one of the offseason’s biggest trades to the league’s investigation.
Kawhi Leonard-Brandon Ingram Blockbuster Remains in Limbo
Monday’s ESPN report initially appeared to move the situation closer to a resolution.
Finding no evidence that Ballmer funneled money to Leonard would eliminate one of the most serious allegations hanging over the Clippers. ESPN also reported that Leonard and the Raptors continue to operate under the expectation that their deal eventually will be completed.
But the NBA’s response offered an immediate reminder that there is still no final ruling.
The investigation began in September 2025 after allegations emerged surrounding Leonard’s four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt financial technology company in which Ballmer had invested.
The arrangement drew scrutiny amid allegations that Leonard was required to perform little or no promotional work, raising questions about whether the deal represented additional compensation outside his NBA contract.
The NBA subsequently expanded its investigation beyond Aspiration and into relationships involving other Clippers sponsors, according to ESPN.
For Toronto and Los Angeles, the uncertainty has real roster-building consequences.
Ingram remains a Raptor. Leonard remains a Clipper. Neither franchise can fully move forward with a blockbuster that would reshape both teams until the investigation reaches a point where they are comfortable completing it.
ESPN’s report offered reason to believe that moment could be getting closer.
The NBA’s response Monday slammed on the brakes.
The league didn’t announce a violation or dispute any specific finding. But by publicly accusing ESPN of “numerous and significant inaccuracies,” it made one thing unmistakably clear:
The investigation holding up the Leonard-Ingram trade isn’t over yet.
NBA Issues Strong Statement Amid Kawhi Leonard-Brandon Ingram Trade Holdup