Basketball Wiretap

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."

The New York Knicks' victory over the San Antonio Spurs on June 3 drew an average audience of 16.93 million viewers on ABC, making it the network's most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 since 2018, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

The broadcast peaked at 19.63 million viewers at 11 p.m. ET and ranked as the most-watched program of the day across all television in all key male and adult demographics.

The game also stands as the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 in ABC history excluding Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers matchups, and the most-watched NBA Finals game overall since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

Viewership for Game 1 rose 90% compared to last year's series opener.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is expected to decline his $14.9 million player option for next season in order to cash in on a much bigger payday. Reaves is reportedly seeking a maximum contract from the Lakers, or another team, in free agency.

Because he's had only five years in the league, Reaves is eligible for a 25% of the cap maximum deal in free agency. The most he could get from the Lakers projects to be $239 million over five years. Another team could offer Reaves a max deal of $177 million over four years. Both contracts would start at just over $41 million for next season.

The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets project to be the only teams with enough cap space to offer Reaves a max contract outright. Other teams would have to work out a sign-and-trade deal with Los Angeles to add the combo guard to their roster.

It's unclear if Reaves will give the Lakers any kind of hometown discount in free agency. He famously didn't extend his current deal, because Reaves bet on himself to earn a much bigger deal as a free agent.

Standing before a room of Nike executives months after recovering from a career-threatening blood clot, Victor Wembanyama delivered a direct message: "I'm not gonna give basketball a choice of who the face is going to be."

That declaration, recounted by a person present at the meeting, now looks prescient. The 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs center is in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks at age 22, ahead of the timeline his own camp had projected.

His management team, Agence Comsport co-founders Jeremy Medjana and Bouna Ndiaye, have guided Wembanyama since he was 13. Their approach has been measured. Before entering the NBA, he turned down multi-million dollar offers from beverage brands, choosing focus over fast money.

"The philosophy is, we don't want him to be too distracted," Medjana said. "If you sign too many deals, then you cannot stay focused on the main goal."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has reinforced that winning remains the foundation of any lasting global platform.

“Ultimately, for a player to take that mantle, they have to win,” Silver said. “And in the conversations I’ve had with Wemby, I’ve emphasized that, but I’m not sure I had to tell him that. The precondition to being a leader on the global stage is winning.”

The numbers reflect Wembanyama's rising international pull. The Spurs ranked as the fastest-growing NBA League Pass team worldwide during the regular season, with viewership up 30 percent in Europe and 40 percent in Asia.

“The championship part of it and the sports greatness part of the legacy is what speaks to my instinct. It’s really what drives me forward,” Wembanyama told The Athletic earlier this season. “It’s the locomotive of my life and my direction.”

According to Shams Charania, Wembanyama will be a sneaker free agent later this year as his Nike deal is set to expire.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been speculated as a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade suitor given their position as a title contender who could put together the most compelling offer to the Milwaukee Bucks without losing too many of their existing pieces.

There is an argument that Antetokounmpo could be a better counter for the Thunder against Victor Wembanyama given the struggles of Chet Holmgren in the Western Conference Finals. But Holmgren is significantly younger and less expensive than Antetokounmpo.

"I've got to tell you that no one around the league sees them as a Giannis team," said Zach Lowe on his podcast this week. "Everybody. Every GM, every scout I've talked to would be pretty surprised if they veered in that direction."

Antetokounmpo is believed to value his chances of competing for a title when considering trade possibilities. 

Lowe echoed reporting from The Athletic this week that the Miami Heat are considered the team most likely to trade for Antetokounmpo though that is far from certain.

A resolution to Antetokounmpo's future is expected to come by the draft on Tuesday, June 23rd.

The Chicago Bulls will have a group of finalists for their head coach position by early next week at the latest, sources told Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Wes Unseld Jr. is expected to be among the final group. Unseld coached the Wizards for three seasons between 2021-24.

The Bulls were one of the teams interested in Sean Sweeney before he got hired by the Magic. The team was most recently linked with BYU coach Kevin Young.

Bulls senior advisor John Paxson has played a role in the head coaching search alongside new vice president Bryson Graham.

The New York Knicks listed Mitchell Robinson as probable for Game 2 of the NBA Finals due to a fractured finger.

Robinson played 13 minutes in Game 1, finishing with two points and six rebounds.

Robinson has yet to explain how he injured his finger. 

NBC averaged 7.2 million viewers for the 2026 NBA playoffs, a 72% increase from comparable coverage from last season.

Heading into the NBA Finals, NBC had nine out of the top 10 most-watched games of the playoffs.

The series between the Spurs and Thunder averaged 10.8 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched Conference Finals in 24 years. Game 7 averaged 15.9 million viewers, which was the most-viewed Conference Finals game since 2016.

The Windy City Bulls named Alex Kaufman as the team's general manager on Thursday, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The Bulls also added Jarrett Sutton as a scout.

Both Kaufman and Sutton worked with Bryson Graham for six years with the Pelicans. 

The NBA is investigating an exchange between Jalen Brunson and courtside fans during the final minute of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, sources confirmed to ESPN. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 Wednesday night.

The incident occurred with 29.4 seconds remaining while teammate OG Anunoby was shooting free throws. Brunson, visibly agitated, spoke twice with crew chief Scott Foster during and after the game. He did not address the matter with reporters postgame.

Chris Haynes of Prime Video first reported the league's investigation.

The confrontation did not affect Brunson's performance. He finished with 30 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter without a turnover, as New York erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit. The Knicks have now won 12 consecutive playoff games, 11 by double figures, posting a plus-272 point differential over that stretch, the best in the NBA's 80-year history across regular season and postseason play.

The investigation arrives alongside a separate fan conduct matter from Game 1. The NBA issued a lifetime ban Thursday to a fan who ran onto the court during play attempting to take a selfie with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. A second individual also received a permanent ban for their involvement.

Fan behavior has drawn increased league attention in recent years. The NBA distributed a memo to all 30 franchises at the start of this season demanding consistent enforcement of its Fan Code of Conduct.

"It is critical that teams and arenas vigorously enforce the Code of Conduct and not tolerate any misconduct that impacts our players, fans, or otherwise disrupts the game," the league stated.