Federal Prosecutors Open Criminal Probe into Clippers' Kawhi Leonard Salary Cap Scandal

Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the NBA's salary cap rules through secret sponsorship contracts for Kawhi Leonard. This development follows the NBA's own year-long investigation, which resulted in the Clippers being fined $30 million, forfeiting five first-round draft picks, and suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer and other executives. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn is reportedly handling the early-stage probe.