“It’s just finding that right balance.”

In the absence of hard information, the tendency is to look for clues that may or not be staring us right in the face, all the way along.

In this case, keep that first quote, from NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in mind.

Officially, the NBA has not finished its investigation into the potential salary cap circumventing scheme the Los Angeles Clippers allegedly used as a salary top-up to make sure Kawhi Leonard was getting all the money he was entitled to and then some on deals dating back to 2021 and 2024.

The latest report by Pablo Torre on his award-winning podcast of a seemingly unlikely endorsement arrangement for Leonard while with the Clippers — in this case, scoreboard manufacturer Daktronics — seems like only more fuel for the bonfire that threatens to bring down the Clippers, their super-rich and powerful owner Steve Ballmer, and derail the trade that was supposed to bring Leonard to the Raptors.

Per league sources, there’s a belief the investigation has already moved beyond its fact-finding stage and the parties involved — specifically the Clippers and the NBPA (which is monitoring the situation to see what if any consequences befall Leonard) — are working quietly to get the entire issue resolved, something Silver hinted at back on July 14 when he last spoke publicly on the issue.

The most likely outcome? 

A negotiated settlement where the NBA gets to enforce some version of its rules, Ballmer can save face and Leonard can play for the Raptors.  

Whether Torre’s latest finding is new information to the NBA’s investigation or not — a report in The Athletic last month said a second no-show endorsement deal was already part of the investigation — the sense is that it won’t affect the next stage of the process, namely figuring out what the league is going to do with the information it has collected.

An NBA spokesperson refused comment when reached by Sportsnet about the status of the investigation. A representative of the NBPA didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

The Clippers star has been in limbo of sorts as the trade that would have seen him sent from Las........

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