Pablo Torre seems to be on a bigger mission than Adam Silver right now. He’s doing everything to unveil the truth behind the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration drama. Meanwhile, the Commissioner has initiated an investigation, and we have yet to receive updates. However, nothing is stopping the investigative journalist from unearthing the truth, as he now has the receipts for a new $118 million twist. Before diving into that, a very pressing question is popping into everyone’s mind right now. And that is: Will the NBA be strict enough and ban Kawhi Leonard? And will they pull Steve Ballmer into the loop?

Well, here’s an interesting tweet from NBA insider, Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac: “The NBA does not expect to have a resolution on the Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention investigation until after the All-Star Game. The #Clippers host the All-Star Game.” 

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with the Clippers and the city serving as hosts on February 15, 2026. And it doesn’t look like Adam Silver is willing to change his decision, even as the financial controversy engulfs the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, and Steve Ballmer.

Well, this tweet has enraged the NBA community, who are now publicly calling out the league for being too lenient. Some fans believe this is definitely something the NBA wants festering for an entire league year. Meanwhile, others think that the league isn’t serious anymore and feels like a “crime syndicate.” 

Now, coming back to the $118 million story that is now taking over the internet. Interestingly enough, there is also a Mark Cuban twist to the tale. He spoke… a lot. And that was enough for Pablo Torre to dive deeper and bring out more truth. Not all heroes wear a cape, but this one is surely the villain in Clippers’ scripts.

Trouble escalates for Kawhi Leonard & Co. as more financial truth comes to light

Mark Cuban’s role with the Mavericks shifted after he sold a majority stake and lost control of basketball operations. Still a minority owner, he vocally supported Steve Ballmer amid the controversy. Cuban appeared on multiple podcasts, including Torre’s and Road Trippin’ with Perkins, Jefferson, Frye, and Clifton, while relentlessly posting on social media about the unfolding financial drama.

In one post, Cuban called out Torre for ignoring the carbon credit angle. He noted that while Pablo focused on $2 million and $50 million involving Dennis Wong and Ballmer, the Clippers had poured millions into Aspiration. Cuban highlighted that the margins were massive, five to ten times the cost, making it a safer way to manage payments around the CBA.

“If I had to point to the things that the NBA should look at,” Cuban wrote on Sept 17. “It’s going to start with whether Dennis and Steve were the only outside investors when the company needed money so badly…Second thing I would look at was the $50 million deal the Clippers had for carbon credits. Carbon credits are a dicey business, to put it mildly…Did the Clippers pay the money up front or not? That would be a red flag if they did specifically because it’s a dicey business.”

The numbers tell the story. The Clippers prepaid nearly $21 million in carbon offsets on June 14, 2022, boosting Aspiration’s fundraising just two weeks before Kawhi Leonard’s first payment. By then, the total spent on carbon credits reached $56 million. Across 18 months, the Clippers effectively sent Aspiration a staggering $118 million. Yikes barely scratches the surface.

The NBA drama is reaching peak chaos, and the league is sitting tight while the All-Star spotlight shines bright. Meanwhile, Pablo Torre is on a full-throttle mission, unraveling every twist the Clippers thought they could hide. Mark Cuban keeps stirring the pot, making sure no angle goes unchecked. Fans are raging, debates are exploding, and the pressure is mounting. Somewhere between intrigue and outrage, this story is only getting juicier.