u/The_Living_L

He was one of the big reporters a part of that ESPN article yesterday where they had to a lot to say not only for Ballmer’s/Clippers side but also Kawhi.

Article made it seem like they or at least the clippers/ballmer mainly are in the clear and no punishment will come or if it does, it will be hard to bring them down based on the evidence, but it does seem the NBA are “trying” to find a way to give out punishments, the problem is whatever they use in the process, they might not be able to fight it effectively in arbitration as the other side has ways to fight it, their evidence may not be good enough, they don’t have what they had when they punished Timberwolves and Joe Smith as they had actual legit physical evidence.

Does seem like Kawhi’s side he is super confident he will be a Raptor, his agent and people around him are actively wearing Raptors gear too, article also states:

“Leonard and the Raptors are both operating as though the trade will be completed and reunite him with Toronto, according to team sources.”

“Leonard and his agent and business attorney, Harrison Gaines, have had conversations with the players' union over the past few weeks, and there has been no indication that Leonard will face a voided contract, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks.”

He can also go to arbitration as well, this doesn’t mean much for that, just means the punishment most likely won’t lead to his contract getting voided, but something else. Main punishment Kawhi seems centered on him paying back the money he earned through these endorsements based on the article.

Seems like it is a possibility for both sides, mainly Clippers however. Wording does seem a bit confusing though because he could mean that IF the NBA tries to punish LA with improper player-sponsorship introductions and no other evidence, it could go to arbitration as they can fight it.

I just got an official Apple MagSafe Charger and iPhone 15 Pro Max 20W USB power adapter. After a night of using it, it has stopped working. Maybe perhaps they both failed because they are connected to a power bar, with a ton of different electronics connected to one source of power.

Was wondering if this is something I take to Apple that they can replace both, what should I do, I already bought a much better power bar for starters, what should I do next

Also wondering if anyone else has had this problem, I doubt it is normal only after one day of use and both not working, and yes I have tried and tested every way I could, they both aren't working for sure.

My 2 year term has basically ended, I got a few weeks to return, should I wait for a discount on iPhone 17 pro max, or should I just go today and just get it now, don’t want to miss out on any potential deals which is why I am asking. I assume there will be no deals, just wanted to ask people who may have more experience with this stuff.

In the meantime, league business remains stalled. 
Specifically, the previously agreed upon trade, where the Raptors hope to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft assets to the Clippers in return for Leonard, remains on hold. 

There is still optimism the deal will be completed in its original form. However when it was made clear that if any punishment from the investigation was assigned to Leonard — a lengthy suspension, for example — it would be a risk the Raptors would have to accept, Toronto then hit pause on the trade. 

There has been a lot of speculation that something must have changed between when the Raptors and Clippers began sharing the details of the trade with the league in late June — at which time the Raptors, per sources, were comfortable with the risk they were taking based on the due diligence they had done — and the team's decision to pause the trade eight to 10 days later. 

But according to a source close to the situation, the Raptors — having engaged with the league multiple times in the leadup to the trade — were comfortable going ahead with the deal until the NBA made clear on the trade call to finalize it that the risk of something happening to Leonard would have to be borne by the Raptors.

It was a more emphatic message than had been delivered during the more preliminary discussions that had taken place and the Raptors felt like there was no need to rush the deal until the full facts on the investigation were available. So they decided to wait, confident that they could finalize the trade at a later date. Training camp, after all, doesn’t open until Sept. 28. 

All parties, meanwhile, seem to be going about their business. Leonard — who is now represented by a new agent and whose uncle, Dennis Robertson, hasn’t been as front and centre in his business dealings, per sources — was in Las Vegas to take in the Raptors' Summer league game from a courtside seat Monday night, exchanging greetings with Raptors GM Bobby Webster and former Raptors part-owner Larry Tanenbaum and his wife Judy. 

Could the news that the investigation had been expanded — as reported by The Athletic — have been a factor in the league being more explicit about the risks facing the Raptors if they agreed to the trade? 
It’s a possibility, but what is perhaps more likely is that when the trade for Leonard had shifted from a proposal to an agreement, the league felt the need to make it clear that the NBA would not be responsible for solving any issues between the Raptors and the Clippers once the deal was finalized 

Some insiders speculated that what the league office was really trying to avoid was a situation similar to what happened when the Miami Heat acquired Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets for a first-round pick along with Kyle Lowry at the trade deadline in 2024. Rozier was later arrested and indicted on gambling charges related to NBA games, and didn’t play for the Heat last season. There were questions about what the Hornets or the NBA knew about Rozier being under investigation when the trade happened. The Heat eventually had a second-round pick returned to them as compensation. 

The thinking is the league went the extra mile to make sure all parties knew in this instance that trading for Leonard meant inheriting some risk.

How big a risk remains the question. 

The potential role may be the biggest hurdle. DeRozan would be a backup for the first timein Toronto, and while people who know him have been working on him to accept it, it’d be a major career shift. And because he’s so close to cracking the top 10 on the NBA career scoring list (about 2,000 points away), not starting — or not even having a featured scoring role off the bench — would put a crimp in the pursuit of a truly memorable accomplishment. He’s enough of a team player to do whatever is needed to win, but the change would take some adjustment.
Regardless, the Raptors wouldn’t have more than the veteran minimum salary to offer — $3.8 million (U.S.) — although another source who has spoken to DeRozan doesn’t think money would be a deal breaker. He stood to earn about $26 million until the Sacramento Kings cut him loose this month.
Whether the Raptors could even create a roster spot is also a question. They are tight against one of the salary-cap aprons that would trigger limits on what they can do if they reach it, and the team may want to keep one slot open going into September’s training camp, maybe into the regular season.
Combined, it’s hard to see this happening. But the sides have spoken (directly and through back channels) and there’s still a lot of the summer to go, so it’s not an entirely dead issue.
DeRozan remains a favourite of Raptors fans who watched him grow from a raw, athletic teenager into one of the best players in franchise history and a linchpin of the team’s growth into a championship contender.
But as one source said, DeRozan is years away from taking any kind of quasi-coaching mentor role like Garrett Temple had in Toronto for years. DeRozan remains a legitimate NBA scorer and player who can get a better situation elsewhere than with the Raptors as currently constituted.

It seems like the main risk Raptors want to avoid is, finalizing the trade with the risk of his contract getting voided, which is reportedly unlikely