RealGM Basketball Wiretap

23 June 2026

• Kawhi Leonard, Ja Morant Could Be Plan B For Heat

  The Miami Heat are continuing to push for a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, should those trade talks break down, Miami is ready to move to Plan B options. Those options could include the previously reported Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers, or Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies.

  The challenge with Leonard is that there are several layers of uncertainty. It's unclear if the Clippers have any interest in moving the veteran wing. In addition, the investigation into the alleged salary cap circumvention between Leonard and the Clippers is still playing out. Some teams may be wary of dealing for Leonard without a resolution to that situation.

  As for Morant, Miami has long had interest in the point guard. The Grizzlies are expected to work with Morant to find a fresh start. Some see the Heat as an ideal place to help former All-Star get his career back on track.

• Nuggets Interested In Bogdan Bogdanovic In Free Agency

  The Denver Nuggets are interested in adding wing Bogdan Bogdanovic in free agency. The LA Clippers hold a $16 million team option for Bogdanovic that they are expected to decline. The 33-year-old veteran wing would then be an unrestricted free agent.

  Denver would like to add Bogdanovic to play with fellow countryman Nikola Jokic. The two have a strong bond from their time together with the Serbian national team.

  Bogdanovic struggled through injuries in what was a lost season a year ago. For his career, the 6-foot-5 wing has averaged 14 points per game and has shot more than 38% from behind the arc.

• Steve Ballmer Blocks Kawhi Leonard Trade Talks, Committed To Building Clippers Around Him

  Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has continued to reject trade inquiries for Kawhi Leonard and that stance is expected to continue.

  The Golden State Warriors pursued Leonard ahead of the February trade deadline.

  The Warriors engaged the Clippers more seriously than in prior discussions, but Los Angeles returned the same answer each time. Ballmer has maintained a firm stance against moving Leonard, preferring to continue building around the star forward originally signed in 2019.

  Leonard's $50.3 million expiring contract would require a significant extension as part of any deal, making a trade a considerable long-term commitment for any acquiring team. Any package would also include a mix of players and future draft capital.

  Leonard was a Second Team All-NBA selection in 2025-26, playing perhaps his best basketball since the 2019-20 season.

• Kawhi Leonard Interviewed By NBA Investigators On Aspiration Probe

  Kawhi Leonard has been interviewed by NBA investigators as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap to compensate him. Leonard's uncle and business adviser, Dennis Robertson, has also been interviewed.

  Steve Ballmer and other executives from the Clippers have also been interviewed, as have executives from Aspiration.

  Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, Adam Silver said the league is "close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up."

  A timeline for when the investigation will conclude has not yet been determined.

  The Clippers have publicly denied the allegations. Privately, some officials from the Clippers have grown frustrated inter attempts to prove innocence for a violation they clam they didn't commit. Team officials are less certain about the income of the investigation and whether punishment will be issued.

  The NBPA would likely push back if the Clippers are punished for not knowing enough about the nature of Leonard's endorsement deal with Aspiration. NBA teams are not permitted to be involved in or have knowledge of player sponsorship deals beyond the team.

  "The NBPA would and should lose its mind over that," one of those sources said.

  Two source said that if Silver tried to administer punishment to the Clippers without clear evidence of guilt, other teams and owners could consider it a worrying precedent.

  "I respect Adam, and I don't think he's stupid," said one of the sources, who has worked closely with Silver through the years. "If Wachtell delivers the report that says, 'Well, we don't have it,' I don't think Adam is going to push it further."

• Adam Silver Vows To Follow Facts, Says Investigation Into Clippers Needs To Wrap

  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the league's investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and potential salary cap violations is approaching a resolution, though he stopped short of setting a specific timeline for its completion.

  Silver spoke before Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals in San Antonio. The probe is being conducted by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, which began its work in September.

  "I don't have a specific timeline on when they will be completed," Silver said. "I think it's clear they are far along. I think those reports are -- reading all the time from people who are being interviewed by them, and I think they understand that you could keep going on and on, but I think we are close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up, because you also need finality. The team has to understand what situation they are going to be operating under, and so do the other 29 teams. So that's where things currently stand."

  The inquiry centers on whether the Clippers funneled money to star Kawhi Leonard through his $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration, a green banking company that also held a $300 million, 23-year sponsorship deal with the franchise. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who invested $60 million in Aspiration, has denied prior knowledge of Leonard's arrangement.

  Aspiration has since declared bankruptcy. Co-founder Joe Sanberg was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

  Silver addressed whether Sanberg's sentencing would influence his decision on potential discipline.

  "My job is to follow the facts," Silver said. "Findings will be made by this independent firm. That's presented to me. It's then ultimately my role to determine what the appropriate discipline, if any, should be meted out based on their findings."

  Silver emphasized that the independent firm's conclusions and his disciplinary determination represent two distinct processes.

• Darius Garland On Joining Clippers: I Got My Joy Back

  LA Clippers point guard Darius Garland was a recent guest on the Ball In The Family podcast, which was hosted by Lonzo Ball and LiAngelo Ball. Garland touched on a lot of topics, with a specific focus on how happy he is to be a part of the Clippers.

  "It's been great, bro," Garland said about joining LA after a mid-season trade. "Coming to a system where I can actually be me. Have the ball in my hand for the majority of the game and actually have control of the pace of the game. Just being like a second coach out there, literally. It was fun when I was out there playing, for sure. I got my joy back."

  Garland and Donovan Mitchell never quite formed the backcourt the Cleveland Cavaliers hoped for when they traded for Mitchell. Garland's injuries also played a part in the team falling short of expectations. Ahead of the trade deadline in last February, the Cavs swapped Garland for James Harden. Cleveland was ultimately swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

• Aspiration Co-Founder Sentenced To 14 Years, Cooperation Aided NBA's Clippers Investigation

  Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg, whose bankrupt green banking company sits at the center of an NBA investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison Monday after cooperating with league investigators, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled.

  NBA investigator David Anders, in what represented the league's first public statement on its Clippers inquiry, confirmed in an April 17 letter to the court that Sanberg had provided meaningful assistance to the probe.

  "In all our dealings with Mr. Sanberg, both directly and through his counsel, he provided information that was consistent with our review of contemporaneous documents and other evidence," Anders wrote. "Mr. Sanberg's cooperation substantially assisted our investigation, including our ability to develop a more complete understanding of key events."

  Anders confirmed Sanberg sat for two in-person interviews and supplied documents and, through his attorneys, information relevant to the league's review.

  Sanberg had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after prosecutors said he defrauded investors and lenders out of $248 million by obtaining fraudulent loans, falsifying financial statements, and concealing his role as a revenue source for the company. Federal prosecutors sought a sentence of nearly 18 years.

  Judge Stephen V. Wilson, on the federal bench since 1985, said the circumstances ranked among the worst fraud cases he had encountered in his career.

  "This case has touched almost every badge of fraud," Wilson said, adding that Sanberg had become "greedy, brazen, callous" and "entangled in a web of lies" over several years.

  Aspiration announced a 23-year, $300 million endorsement agreement with the Clippers in September 2021 and a separate $28 million deal with star Kawhi Leonard in April 2022. Reports citing internal documents alleged Leonard's arrangement was structured to circumvent the NBA's salary cap, prompting the league's investigation.

  Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who lost his entire $60 million personal investment in Aspiration, advocated through his attorney for a sentence that would deter similar fraud. A restitution hearing is set for July 20, with Sanberg's voluntary surrender date set for August 17.

• Clippers No. 5 Pick In Upcoming Draft Drawing 'Curiosity'

  The Los Angeles Clippers' No. 5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft is drawing "considerable curiosity" around the league, according to Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

  The Clippers received the pick from the Pacers following the Ivica Zubac trade at the deadline.

  It was reported last month that Darius Garland and Ty Lue are the only certainties on the team to return next season.

  With the consensus top-four of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson presumed to be off the board, the Clippers' decision-making could come down to whether to rebuild around Garland or trade the pick for a veteran to put alongside Kawhi Leonard.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham Lead 25-26 All-NBA Team

  The NBA announced their 2025-26 All-NBA Teams on Sunday.

  All-NBA First Team

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
  • Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs
  • Luka Doncic - Los Angeles Lakers
  • Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons

  All-NBA Second Team

  • Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics
  • Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks
  • Kevin Durant - Houston Rockets
  • Kawhi Leonard - LA Clippers
  • Donovan Mitchell - Cleveland Cavaliers

  All-NBA Third Team

  • Jalen Duren - Detroit Pistons
  • Chet Holmgren - Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
  • Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers
  • Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets
• Tiago Splitter, Jeff Van Gundy, Micah Nori Finalists For Blazers' Head Coaching Job

  Tiago Splitter, Jeff Van Gundy and Micah Nori are the three known finalists for the Portland Trail Blazers head coaching vacancy. The Blazers are searching for a replacement for Chauncey Billups, who was arrested on federal charges in October. Splitter filled in for Billups on an interim basis.

  Van Gundy returned to coaching as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024 after a lengthy broadcasting career with ESPN. Van Gundy was most recently ya head coach with the Houston Rockets before he was fired in 2007.

  Nori is a longtime assistant coach under Chris Finch with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nori has been considered a finalist for previous head coaching jobs that eventually went to other candidates.