What happened: The Clippers believed the NBA's investigation into their Kawhi Leonard trade wouldn't hold up the deal, per RealGM. The league halted the trade anyway pending its review.

Why it matters: The gap between the Clippers' expectation and the league's actual intervention leaves the trade in limbo instead of closing as planned. The NBA has said it expects the contract investigation to wrap in the coming weeks.

What to watch: The trade stays paused until the NBA's review concludes.