Dan Le Batard teased Wednesday’s episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out by claiming that it would be the show’s biggest bombshell yet. And Torre’s reporting didn’t disappoint, as it provided evidence claiming that the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard seemingly circumvented the NBA salary cap with a $28 million no-show endorsement deal.
In the episode, Torre reveals documents indicating that an LLC belonging to Leonard is listed among the creditors owed money by a company called Aspiration, which Clippers owner Steve Balmer had invested in. The Meadowlark Media host also discovered an agreement revealing the former climate-finance company had agreed to pay the 2-time NBA Finals MVP $28 million for endorsement purposes, although there isn’t any evidence — public or otherwise — that he actually performed such services.
Torre also interviewed seven former Aspiration employees, one of which agreed to discuss the matter on camera with their identity sealed. The ex-employee, who worked in the company’s finance department, stated that it was well known within the company that Leonard’s endorsement deal was a no-show job.
“I was told, ‘oh these are the major contracts and the major players you really need to be aware of,'” the ex-employee recalled. “And we went through a litany of really really top-tier name contracts And then, ‘oh, by the way, we also have a marketing deal with Kawhi Leonard. A $28 million organic marketing sponsorship deal with Kawhi.’ And that if I had any questions about it, ‘essentially don’t because it was to circumvent the salary cap.'”
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. pic.twitter.com/F6z5pNEkI1
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025
In response, the Clippers issued a statement to Pablo Torre Finds Out denying that they circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct connected to Aspiration and that any claim to the contrary is “provably false.” The NBA had previously investigated claims that Leonard’s uncle and representative had sought illegal benefits during his free agency recruitment in 2019 and found no evidence that the Clippers granted improper requests.
Nevertheless, the evidence and allegations presented by Torre are certainly notable and this doesn’t appear to be a story that will be going away anytime soon. The episode also marks PTFO‘s debut for The Athletic, as Torre adds to an impressive 2025 run that also included reporting on Bill Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson and allegations of misconduct inside the NFL Players Association.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.