Steve Ballmer to Cut Ties With Kawhi Leonard as Clippers Face More Legal Trouble

The LA Clippers will mark September 3, 2025, as a dark day on their calendar. It’s the day when podcaster and investigative journalist Pablo Torre cracked Pandora’s Box, revealing Kawhi Leonard’s association with the now-bankrupt Aspiration. At the heart of it all was a $28 million no-show contract. To make matters worse, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had previously poured $50 million of his own money into the same firm. With documented proof backing these accusations, Adam Silver has launched an investigation, and for Leonard and the Clippers, the trouble has just begun.

Now, on Jan. 3, 2025, Kawhi Leonard’s status sparked confusion when he was first listed as out, only for late reports to signal his return. Tyronn Lue brushed off the drama, saying, “Nothing changed.” Leonard returned with minutes restrictions, averaging 25 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists after the All-Star break. Yet despite his brilliance, the Clippers again collapsed, losing to the Denver Nuggets in seven games.

By September, the Clippers were in deeper turmoil as reports of cap circumvention began circulating. Ballmer denied wrongdoing, telling ESPN, “The allegations have not been true.” Still, revelations surfaced that minority owner Dennis Wong invested $1.99 million just before Aspiration sent Leonard a delayed $1.75 million payment. The timing raised troubling questions. Moreover, Steve Ballmer & Co. are done building around Kawhi Leonard. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes wrote:

“Multiple GMs and other league executives said they expect Leonard to play out his contract with the Clippers, which is set to end after the 2026-27 season. But even then, one former staffer said, the organization’s focus has shifted. ‘They’re done building around [Kawhi],’ he said. ‘They know that and he knows that.'” And here’s why the Clippers boss could cut ties with the Klaw.

Kawhi Leonard’s career has been shaped by a relentless battle with injuries. It began in 2017 with a severe ankle sprain and chronic quadriceps tendinopathy that sidelined him for nearly the entire season in San Antonio. After joining the Clippers in 2019, his right ACL tear in the 2021 playoffs cost him the entire 2021–22 season, derailing championship aspirations in Los Angeles. Even after his return, setbacks followed.

In 2023, he tore his right meniscus, while recurring knee inflammation cut short both the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. Sprains to his ankles, groin, adductor, and hips added to the toll, forcing him out of countless games. Across eight seasons, Leonard has missed nearly 290 regular-season contests. Every absence deepened the question of how long his dominance could survive.

Meanwhile, the Clippers‘ 2019 pick, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, reached unimaginable heights. At 27, he led Oklahoma City to its first championship, topped the league in scoring, and signed a $285 million super maximum extension through 2031. He will also grace the NBA 2K26 cover. And, the Clippers, stuck with no first-round picks for four years and haunted by the 2019 trade, watched Shai thrive while their own dynasty dreams drifted further away.

Coming back to the ongoing investigation around the Clippers and Leonard, more trouble awaits them. This time, a former Clippers strength and conditioning coach, Randy Shelton, has entered the scene. And the allegations are grave.

Randy Shelton’s allegations could escalate trouble for Kawhi Leonard and Steve Ballmer

Back in October 2024, Kawhi Leonard’s health once again pulled the Clippers into the spotlight when former strength coach Randy Shelton filed a lawsuit. He accused the team of wrongful termination and claimed they mishandled Leonard’s injuries. Even hiding two torn ankle ligaments from 2022. Shelton alleged illegal agent dealings, coercion for 10 percent of his salary, and direct threats tied to Leonard’s powerful inner circle.

Meanwhile, Ballmer’s side fired back, dismissing Shelton’s case as extortion. In filings, they said Shelton disrupted medical operations, offered reckless advice, and caused tension among players and staff. They admitted isolating him after concerns he spread incomplete details about Leonard’s health to “witch doctors and quasi-clinicians.” A team source insisted many allegations were false, but conceded the exclusion from meetings and lack of transparency around Leonard’s health were real.

Well, Shelton’s lawsuit cut deeper with claims of tampering. He alleged Clippers executives contacted him in 2017 while Leonard was still under contract with the Spurs, seeking private medical details. A former employee bluntly admitted, “Everybody tampers.” The danger now lies in depositions and documents going public. With Lawrence Frank already questioned, another insider warned, “The team cannot possibly want the NBA opening up its cupboards again. I’m telling you — that is bad.”

The Clippers are caught in a whirlwind of chaos, where injuries, scandals, and old trades refuse to stay buried. Kawhi Leonard sits at the center, powerful yet precarious. And Shai Gilgeous Alexander belongs to OKC now; it’s a reminder of what the Clippers let slip away. Meanwhile, Steve Ballmer has welcomed an investigation into the ongoing Aspiration drama. With cracks widening by the day, the ending feels both inevitable and explosive.