All You Need to Know About Where Things Stand With the Clippers & Kawhi Leonard

It has been nine days since the NBA announced its harsh LA Clippers punishment as a result of the cap circumvention investigation. But there may be even more uncertainty now than there was before the release of the findings.

Let's take a look at where things stand now when it comes to the investigation, the Clippers, and the Kawhi Leonard trade.

Federal Investigation

The league's investigation into the Clippers' dealings is still ongoing. When the punishment was announced, the NBA added that the process is continuing and there may be additional consequences.

To make matters worse, there is now a federal investigation. The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York has launched a criminal investigation, per The New York Times' reporting on Thursday.

This comes on the heels of the revelation that scoreboard company Daktronics was contacted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for an alleged kickback from the Clippers to Leonard in the form of an endorsement deal. Investigative reporter Pablo Torre reacted to this news, saying, "There is a lot more" to this story.

Suffice to say, this story is here to stay.

Latest on the Kawhi Trade With the Raptors

Kawhi Leonard is one of the only winners of this saga. He got out of this mess with a slap on the wrist. Now, he is waiting for the trade to Toronto to be finalized.

The reason for the delay is the front office shakeup in LA. Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Gillian Zucker, the three top Clippers executives, have all been suspended by the league. The Clippers need to appoint a team governor and top basketball executive to sign off on the already agreed-upon trade.

Leonard and the Raptors expect this trade to go through, but there is some level of concern. They would love their new star to join the team for training camp, which starts in about two weeks.

There is also the possibility that the Clippers may renege on the deal or change some of the terms. This seems unlikely, as the Clippers presumably wouldn't want another PR hit, but nothing should be ruled out at this stage.

Who Is In Charge In LA?

The fact that the Clippers weren't prepared for this possibility is embarrassing. This investigation lasted a year, and the Clippers organization has seemingly not considered the possibility that its executives may be penalized. With the NBA season right around the corner, the Clippers don't have a team governor.

In his latest video, Torre said that the most likely governor to succeed Ballmer is the sole co-owner of the Clippers, Dennis Wong, who owns 1% of the team. The problem is that Wong is also implicated in the cap circumvention saga, as he is alleged to have invested in Aspiration, which later funneled the funds to Leonard. Torre is right to speculate whether the NBA would allow Wong to be in charge, even on a temporary basis.

Until this is resolved, the Clippers will not be able to make any major moves, including the finalization of the Kawhi trade. LA also needs to bring its roster down to 15 players before the season, which could require more trades.

Where Do Clippers Go From Here?

The Clippers were reportedly interested in appealing the league's ruling. But there is no formal arbitration process, which complicates that path.

What happens with the Clippers now depends on Ballmer's response. He could sell the team and move on. He could also keep fighting with the league and try to turn things around with the Clippers.

Turning things around will be easier said than done. The Clippers are very limited in terms of their ability to improve the roster. Does it make more sense for them to be as competitive as possible with the current core they have? Or should they sell off and try to restock their future asset coffers?

Regardless of the direction they choose, they have to nail their decisions in free agency and the trade market. For a team that doesn't have a basketball mind or a governor right now, that will be a big challenge. This makes standing pat and maintaining a holding pattern for the immediate future more likely.

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