Report: Kawhi Leonard investigation could stretch into 2027

The NBA may not be close to putting the Kawhi Leonard investigation behind it after all.

According to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, the league’s probe into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap in connection with Leonard could extend into 2027 if the case winds up in arbitration.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently expressed optimism that the investigation would wrap up before the start of next season.

Holmes reported, however, that if the NBA, Clippers and National Basketball Players Association can’t agree on the findings or potential discipline, the matter could be turned over to an independent arbitrator, a process that could significantly delay a final resolution.

The Clippers have consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Team sources told ESPN the organization intends to “fight that to the end,” while sources close to the NBPA said the union would pursue arbitration if it believed the league lacked sufficient evidence to justify any penalties.

The investigation, now nearly a year old, centers on allegations that Leonard received improper financial benefits tied to sponsorship agreements involving former Clippers sponsor Aspiration.

The franchise has maintained that neither it nor owner Steve Ballmer violated NBA rules, arguing the business arrangements were separate from Leonard’s playing contract.

One major question still hanging over the case involves Leonard’s pending trade to the Raptors.

Toronto and the Clippers agreed to the blockbuster deal last month, but it has yet to become official because any discipline handed down by the NBA could follow Leonard to his new team.

According to ESPN, it remains unclear whether a potential arbitration process would further delay completion of the trade.

That said, at least one thing appears certain: The NBA’s longest-running offseason storyline may not be ending anytime soon.