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NBA, Basketball Herren, USA LA Clippers Media Day LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard 2 during the Clippers Media Day, Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, CA. Inglewood Intuit Dome California United States NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xImagexofxSportx Editorial use only

Imago
NBA, Basketball Herren, USA LA Clippers Media Day LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard 2 during the Clippers Media Day, Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, CA. Inglewood Intuit Dome California United States NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xImagexofxSportx Editorial use only
The fallout for the first salary cap circumvention allegations surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard is still pending. The 35-year-old’s trade to the Raptors is on hold. Amid that, Pablo Torre recently unearthed another undisclosed, multimillion-dollar corporate arrangement, which could only double the trouble.
The investigative reporter revealed a second undisclosed agreement between Kawhi Leonard and Daktronics, the manufacturer of the Intuit Dome’s $100 million “Halo Board.” Torre alleges another ‘no-show’ contract, similar to a $28 million “no-show” endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration, a green-tech firm heavily backed by Ballmer. While the Clippers owner pleads not guilty, there is zero communication towards Torre.
“The Clippers have stopped responding to our request for comment,” Torre said on the Dan Patrick Show. “We tell them what’s going to be in the episodes. For months now, they’ve stopped responding. They used to say stuff like ‘this is all provably false.’ And I’ve learned in the story, Dan, that words are very carefully chosen by lawyers. I didn’t go to law school and didn’t make it to that point. But I’ve been told that words are important in legal proceedings. Provably false is a big claim. And it’s August 7th, I believe. And it’s been 11 to 12 months, right? A year almost that we’ve been waiting to show how this is provably false.”
The NBA hired law firm Wachtell to investigate claims that the Clippers may have used Aspiration to secretly channel money connected to Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer denied the allegations, with Ballmer saying Aspiration had “flagrantly deceived” him. The situation became more serious after Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver wanted the investigation finished before the new season so the league could resolve the controversy and allow Kawhi Leonard’s move to Toronto to proceed, but the investigation has become increasingly complicated.
Patrick even asked if the law firm had reached out to Torre during the saga.
“They reached out months ago. I met with them. I handed them a bunch of paperwork, particularly to aspiration, and signed contracts and financial documents, and I encourage them to take all of it as seriously as they can, because I think there’s a lot more here even than I can get to as a guy who has, you know, Dan Le Batard, as his bleeping boss and one lawyer helping me. So we don’t exactly have the resources of a multinational, you know, enterprise, but I think that Wachtell, in listening to the podcast, has a lot to go on, and my hope is that they’re doing exactly that.”
There have been calls for Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard to be suspended. Ballmer has admitted that he introduced Leonard to Aspiration, but he has denied being aware of or in charge of any inappropriate agreement.
Still, neither Leonard nor the Clippers have been found guilty of circumventing the salary cap, and the NBA’s investigation remains ongoing. Pablo Torre’s second allegation only deepens the controversy.
Having exposed another alleged undisclosed contract involving Kawhi Leonard, Torre also sheds light on Ballmer’s silence and the law firm’s response to his findings.
Written by
Edited by

Tanay Sahai
