The NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers for alleged salary cap circumvention will conclude before the start of next season, according to commissioner Adam Silver.

"This [investigation] needs to be wrapped up before the beginning of next season," Silver said on Tuesday. "It's going on longer than I would have hoped, there's no question about that."

It was also reported earlier Tuesday that the investigation expanded into a potential unreported endorsement with a second company.

Silver attributed the length of the ongoing investigation to legal complications, including dealing with bankruptcy courts.

Silver then added that the league did not interfere with the potential trade between the Clippers and Raptors that included Leonard.

"The league did not pause the trade," Silver said. "The parties to the trade made a decision not to go forward given that the investigation remained open. Any possible impact on Kawhi or his contract was yet to be known. They chose not to live with that uncertainty. That was well known before the trade was proposed.

"I don't think there's any reason for people to believe that the status of Kawhi Leonard would change merely because he was traded."