As the dust settles from the initial bombshell report by sportswriter Pablo Torre, it's clear that the L.A. Clippers could be in serious trouble. Torre reports that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer allegedly set up a company named Aspiration to pay star Kawhi Leonard an extra $48 million.
Exclusive: Kawhi Leonard signed a $28M endorsement deal for a "no-show job" with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50M from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, according to documents obtained by @PabloTorre.
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025
"It was to circumvent the salary cap," an inside source says. pic.twitter.com/F6z5pNEkI1
Hi. PTFO can now confirm that Aspiration gave Kawhi a secret $20M side-deal, as first reported by @BostonSportsBSJ.
— Pablo Torre 🕳️ (@PabloTorre) September 5, 2025
Combined with Kawhi’s secret $28M no-show endorsement deal: that’s $48M.
PTFO previously reported that Steve Ballmer’s personal Aspiration investment was... $50M.
That is in addition to the $175 million extension that he signed back in 2021. Ballmer, in his defense, responded to questions surrounding the report, though there are things that simply don't make sense.
"They know the rules. They, meaning Kawhi and his representatives, including his uncle. We know the rules."
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 5, 2025
L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer talks to @ramonashelburne about the allegations against the organization involving the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration deal. pic.twitter.com/Har1uHJCtt
First and foremost is the fact that Leonard was paid $28 million and given $20 million more in stock options from a company that didn't require him to actually endorse them. Imagine working at a job where you don't have to show up and get paid a shockingly large salary. That doesn't happen. Yeah, it's fair for alarm bells to be raised.
The NBA could drop the hammer on the L.A. Clippers
The NBA has reportedly hired a law firm to investigate Ballmer and the Clippers. If they find wrongdoing, then they could come down hard on the Clippers. Yahoo Sports' Tom Habistrough provided an intriguing suggestion as far as potential punishments.
He mentioned that the league could theoretically take away the pick swaps they have in 2026 and 2028 and outright strip them of their 2030, 2031, and 2032 firsts. Combine that with the picks they are already out of, and the Clippers wouldn't have a first for the next eight years.
The league could also void Leonard's contract, though that might be unlikely, and even suspend Baller for a year if the accusations are proven true.
The Clippers are already feeling the effects of the Kawhi Leonard drama
That may not affect them much on the court this season, at least at first. However, what they have done with Leonard has already backfired big time. The Clippers signed Leonard with the condition of doing so being them trading for Paul George.
That trade set the table for the Oklahoma City Thunder winning a championship last season and has still haunted the Clippers. Leonard and George only made a Western Conference Finals in six seasons together.
L.A. allegedly paying Leonard up to $50 million extra, beyond his contract, makes them look silly. Leonard has become known as "street clothes," with him often out of the lineup.
The Clippers are risking the wrath of the NBA to allegedly circumvent the salary cap. We will have to see what the ultimate outcome will be, but the potential outcome could be disastrous for L.A.