What happened: Speaking from Summer League in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, the commissioner clarified that the league office did not mandate the July 9 transaction delay between Los Angeles and Toronto. The organizations elected to wait after Toronto learned it would inherit potential contract penalties resulting from the open salary cap circumvention inquiry into Kawhi Leonard. The commissioner noted both front offices knew about the investigation before proposing the exchange and rejected the notion that moving the forward would dismiss the inquiry.

Why it matters: The league hired independent law firm Wachtell Lipton on September 3 to examine allegations of salary cap circumvention involving owner Steve Ballmer's former business partner, Aspiration. The scrutiny originated from reporting on the podcast "Pablo Torre Finds Out," which surfaced the third-party payment claims, while Ballmer and the organization have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Until Wachtell Lipton completes its review, all business involving the veteran forward remains frozen, locking both franchises in offseason roster limbo ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 campaign.

What to watch: Watch for the conclusion of the independent review this summer to determine whether the league voids the contract or mandates suspensions spanning up to an entire season.