Clippers face federal criminal probe after NBA punishes team over Kawhi Leonard deals

Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers arranged secret, off-the-books sponsorship deals for Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap, first reported by The New York Times.

The inquiry is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, which has previously pursued major sports integrity cases involving NBA referee gambling and FIFA corruption.

Federal authorities...