SEC joins NBA investigation into Clippers and Kawhi Leonard sponsorship deals

The Securities & Exchange Commission has joined the NBA in investigating undisclosed sponsorship deals linked to Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Daktronics, the scoreboard manufacturer at the Intuit Dome, confirmed it received information requests from both federal regulators and the league regarding a multi-million-dollar agreement with Leonard. This probe originally focused on an alleged $28 million endorsement contract with Aspiration but has now expanded to include the Daktronics partnership. The ongoing inquiry has effectively stalled a pending trade that would send Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. League officials originally finalized the trade terms on June 30, but the deal remains on hold until the investigation concludes and potential penalties are determined. Training camps are scheduled to begin later this month, leaving the status of all involved players uncertain as the league evaluates potential collective bargaining agreement violations.

• 7:30 PMYahoo Sports — Ominous New Turn in Kawhi Leonard/Clippers Investigation as SEC Gets Involved