The players’ union isn’t happy. Pablo Torre has found out something else, and Kawhi Leonard remains — officially — a Los Angeles Clipper.

The second half of July and most of August is the only dormant period on the NBA calendar. For most of the rest of year, there is always something going on. 

But the saga around the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard — which the Toronto Raptors are now officially embroiled in due to their decision to trade for the aging superstar, bringing him back to the franchise where he won an NBA championship in 2019 — refuses to go away. 

For those who haven’t been following or have sensibly chosen the "tell me when it’s over" approach: the NBA league office has been investigating the Clippers for the possibility of salary-cap circumvention for going on 11 months now. 

Maybe NBA commissioner Adam Silver, a lawyer by training and thus no stranger to the nuance and specificity of language, was sending not-so-coded signals when he said earlier this month, regarding the investigation: "My timeline remains this summer," without explicitly acknowledging that "summer" isn’t over until Sept. 22, or six days before the Raptors open training camp. 

But a report from ESPN on Wednesday suggested that might be optimistic, as the tentacles of the investigation around the four-year, $176-million contract Leonard signed with the Clippers before the 2021 season keep spreading, all prompted by a series of Pulitzer-prize-winning podcasts by Pablo Torre beginning in September 2025. 

Wednesday's ESPN story by Baxter Holmes cited sources close to the NBA Players Association that suggested the entire process could drag into 2027 if the Clippers and NBPA didn’t accept whatever findings and proposed remedies by the league office once the investigation is included.

I’m not suggesting that the NBPA isn’t being sincere in its determination to fight for one of its members, but does anyone really believe the NBA or anyone else involved — all who stand to gain if the league’s business grows with a robust 2026-27 season and lose if business suffers — is going to let what Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers did or didn’t do in 2021 threaten a single dollar of revenue five years later?

A fair interpretation of this is that the NBPA, whose interest is in making sure that Leonard is protected from anything that might affect his earning power — a suspension, the possibility (however remote) of his contract being voided,........

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