NBA Scandal: Kawhi Leonard and Clippers Linked to Evading Salary Cap with Massive Side Deal ...Middle East

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers have landed in some hot water.

Pablo Torre of the increasingly popular sports investigative journalism program “Pablo Torre Finds Out” dropped a bombshell report on Wednesday morning. Over nearly an hour and a half long show, Torre laid out a paper trail that allegedly shows the outside payment of $28.0 million to Kawhi Leonard for a “no-show” job.

The company that sent money to the Clippers superstar was none other than “Aspiration,” a sustainability service that supposedly helped other companies and celebrities reduce their carbon footprint by planting trees. Aspiration went bankrupt in the spring of 2025 and has since seen its co-founder, Joe Sandberg, plead guilty to two charges of wire fraud.

Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers in Trouble?

Pablo Torre’s reporting outlines how a company owned by Kawhi Leonard – known as KL2 Aspire, LLC – reached a sponsorship agreement with Aspiration that would net him $7.0 million a year (the single-largest sponsorship deal in the company’s history). However, Torre’s team found zero instances of Leonard promoting the brand, raising questions regarding the legitimacy of the agreement. There was also a clause in the deal stating that Leonard would not have to fulfill his obligations if they didn’t align with his “beliefs,” although the money would continue to flow.

Eyebrows were only raised further when Aspiration could be tied back heavily to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who invested $50.0 million of his own money into the company. Aspiration also previously had a deal with the Clippers franchise to serve as a jersey patch partner, which was eventually terminated. Arguably, the most damning evidence of all is the fact that Leonard’s contract with Aspiration stated that payments would stop if he ever left the Clippers organization.

Of course, the major concern here revolves around the NBA salary cap. After Leonard initially signed with the Clippers in 2019, rumors surfaced that Leonard’s uncle had requested improper benefits during the negotiation process with teams. The Athletic reported at the time that the NBA proceeded to investigate the Clippers’ signing of the former Raptors star, but no evidence was found.

Nevertheless, Sam Amick of The Athletic shared in that 2019 article that Adam Silver views “salary cap circumvention as a cardinal sin.” The league will now have to decide if this newfound information is reason enough to reopen the investigation into Leonard’s relationship with the Clippers. While the former did not provide Torre with an immediate comment, Ballmer’s camp did respond with a statement denying any wrongdoing:

“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.

You can watch the shocking Kawhi Leonard findings made by Pablo Torre in the latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out on YouTube. This story will be updated with necessary information.

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