The controversy centers on Aspiration, a now-collapsed sustainability-focused financial company that investigative reporter Pablo Torre has alleged the Clippers used to funnel payments to Leonard beyond what the league's salary cap rules permit. The dispute has taken on added significance in recent weeks after a planned trade sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors was paused amid the ongoing NBA investigation into the allegations. Speaking to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, a source associated with the Clippers organization said the team continues to firmly reject the allegations of salary cap circumvention. The NBA has hired Wachtell Lipton, a prominent New York-based law firm, to conduct the formal investigation into the allegations against the Clippers. Wachtell Lipton has been investigating the Clippers and the allegations surrounding Leonard's compensation since September of last year, according to the reporting.