“A manufactured paper trail”: NBA insider invalidates Steve Ballmer and Clippers’ key revelation on Kawhi Leonard’s Aspiration deal

Over the past few weeks, the LA Clippers have become the biggest talking point in the NBA. Amid new developments on the situation, one insider still isn’t sure ownership is innocent.

Insider Pablo Torre made a shocking revelation regarding Kawhi Leonard and Steve Ballmer. The star forward has been collecting money from a tree-planting company funded by his team’s owner.

Leonard has a marketing contract with the business, but hasn’t done any sort of promotion in the past. Torre’s report also included the testimony of an ex-employee who said the dealings were a way to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap.

Pablo Torre Finds Out

@pablofindsout

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. "It was to circumvent the salary cap," an inside source says.

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Since this initial reporting, the league has decided to launch an investigation into the situation. Per the latest reporting, the Clippers are willing to fully cooperate and provide all the original emails between Leonard and Aspiration.

These actions might indicate that the team is innocent of any wrongdoing. However, NBA insider Kevin O'Connor doesn't see it that way. He feels that the digital communication could have been made in the event that their dealings were ever brought to light.

"The fact that Aspiration emailed the Clippers first about Kawhi Leonard proves nothing. It could just as easily be a manufactured paper trail," O'Connor wrote on X.

Kevin O'Connor

@KevinOConnor

The fact that Aspiration emailed the Clippers first about Kawhi Leonard proves nothing. It could just as easily be a manufactured paper trail.

The possible punishments for circumventing the cap include fines, forefeiting draft capital and contracts being voided.

Pablo Torre uncovers new evidence against Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers

Since his first report, Pablo Torre has uncovered more regarding Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration. New information has been brought to light that stems deeper than Steve Ballmer.

During Thursday's episode of his podcast, Torre touched on some financials between Aspiration and Leonard. The company owed Leonard roughly $1.7 million, but took months to pay it.

Coincidentally, roughly a week-and-a-half before paying Leonard, Aspiration received an investment of $2 million. It was later revealed that the payment was made by the Clippers' co-owner Dennis J. Wong.

Pablo Torre Finds Out

@pablofindsout

EXCLUSIVE: Kawhi Leonard's $1.75M "no-show" payday was running late. Then, per new documents obtained by @PabloTorre, the Clippers' co-owner invested $1.99M in the team's broke sponsor. Nine days later, Kawhi got paid. "It is beyond shocking," an Aspiration executive says.

Over the summer, LA made numerous upgrades to the roster via trades and free agency. Led by Leonard and James Harden, they are poised to make a run at a championship. However, this situation is slowly forming a massive cloud over the team just weeks before training camp begins.

As new details continue to emerge, all LA can do is await word from the league on the findings from their investigation. Based on all the information that has come out, it's fair to assume some kind of punishment is likely coming down the pike.

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About the author

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in journalism and a bachelor's degree in Sports Management Marketing from Holy Family University.

Kevin has worked with various notable outlets throughout his career, including 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, Heavy Sports, and Sports Illustrated/FanNation, before joining Sportskeeda in March 2022.

Specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage, Kevin's passion for basketball stems from his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Among his favorite players are Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, and Steph Curry, while his all-time favorites include Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Kevin holds Coach K in high regard for the large input he's had on the game helping mold players across multiple generations. Kevin believes the iconic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped elevate the league to its current status.

Through his writing, Kevin provides in-depth analysis and insights into player and coach quotes. He prioritizes sourcing information from credible and reliable outlets.

Kevin enjoys reading, aiming to finish at least one book per month, and he is a big fan of music.

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