Just when you thought the trouble was over! No, it’s not. In fact, Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers are going deeper into the quicksand. Last week, when investigative journalist Pablo Torre unleashed the $28 million no-show contract and Aspiration link-ups, it took the NBA world. And to say that the very core of the league, including Adam Silver, has seemingly involved himself in finding the truth would be an understatement. However, the end isn’t here yet.

In the latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, the host shared a few tapes, or rather revelations. And they were straight from the whistleblowers. Whatever they said has thrown the Klaw, the Clippers, Steve Ballmer, and the supposed Uncle Dennis into the limelight. Yet again? Oh no, they’ve always been there.

“There are multiple things that are conspicuous. One, we’re broke. We’re broke. To invest in a broke company is beyond me. I really don’t understand it, but I might not be a very sophisticated investor,” one of the ex-Aspiration employees told Torre. “The other thing is the amount being invested. That’s such a nominal amount if we’re talking pure investment, especially in a late-stage startup that’s in the process of a SPAC or on the outside date of a SPAC, or going to a SPAC at some point, and already raised $300 million a year earlier. What does $2 million buy you?”

The whistleblower sharply criticized the Aspiration investment. Yet, they injected $2 million into the financially unstable company, a trivial amount compared to the $300 million it raised just a year earlier. especially as the firm prepared for a public listing, it’s a red flag suggesting the investment wasn’t made purely for financial return.

Another source, from Aspiration’s finance department, added, “It really looks like the Clippers, through Dennis Wong, put in $2 million for Aspiration to be able to make the $1.75 million payment to Kawhi. That’s what it looks like to me.” 

Torre’s second source from Aspiration’s finance department revealed a belief that Wong invested the money to guarantee Kawhi Leonard’s payment. However, the source emphasized this was speculation, not confirmation. Their view stemmed from evidence they observed while working inside the company. The statement underscores internal doubts and raises sharp questions about the true purpose behind Wong’s financial move.

For context, the NBA’s salary cap limits how much teams can pay their players, and circumventing this through side payments is considered a “cardinal sin” of the league. Silver’s office has long warned that structured deals, backdoor investments, or third-party payments could compromise the integrity of the competition.

Pablo Torre laid it out in black and white. “This document is the Stock Purchase Agreement dated December 9th, 2022, made by DEA88 Investments LP and signed by its president, Dennis Wong, ultimately giving the Clippers’ vice chairman, alternate governor, and only minority owner of the team—also Steve Ballmer’s college roommate—0.072% of an eventually bankrupt company.”

The information demands attention. It details the official agreement and the signatory, Dennis Wong. It shows Wong’s position, his ownership role, and even his personal link as Steve Ballmer’s college roommate. Yet the stark conclusion is unavoidable. All of this maneuvering, through DEA88 Investments LP, resulted in 0.072% of a company that collapsed into bankruptcy.

Throughout Thursday’s show, Pablo Torre pressed that Wong’s investment and Aspiration’s payment could be the smoking gun the NBA seeks. If the Clippers’ owners knowingly gave Leonard improper benefits after his 2019 free agency signing, Silver could punish Ballmer, Wong, and others. Silver once called such acts “a cardinal sin of the NBA,” though no evidence surfaced in 2019.

Adam Silver upsets NBA owners as he remains tight-lipped about Kawhi Leonard & Co.

The NBA is now pressing into Kawhi Leonard’s business ties. Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Wednesday that an independent firm will investigate whether the Clippers used those ties to bypass the salary cap. Speaking after the board of governors meeting in New York, which Steve Ballmer attended, Silver stressed the league will wait for the facts before taking action.

Behind closed doors, tension spread. Multiple owners expressed frustration after Silver chose not to discuss the Ballmer investigation openly. Private side conversations unfolded at the St. Regis, during lunches, and over drinks. They centered on Kawhi’s $28 million no-show contract and $20 million in stocks, totaling $48 million, along with Ballmer’s personal $50 million investment in Aspiration.

The storm shows no signs of abating. Each new piece of evidence drags Kawhi, the Clippers, and Ballmer deeper into the controversy. Torre’s investigation ignited the fire, whistleblowers poured fuel on it, and Silver’s cautious approach is fanning the flames. NBA owners whisper in frustration, fans vent their anger online, and the league holds its breath.

The only question that remains is this: will this scandal erupt into one of the biggest controversies in NBA history, or will it fade quietly into the background? The answer, for now, remains shrouded in uncertainty, but the storm clouds are gathering.