The NBA world was shaken when veteran sports journalist Pablo Torre dropped a bombshell report suggesting that Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard became entangled in a secretive $28 million endorsement agreement with a fraudulent company. According to Torre, the deal was allegedly orchestrated by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who is said to have used the company as a front to funnel money outside of official league channels in order to bypass the NBA’s strict salary cap rules.
The company at the center of the story was presented as an eco-friendly “tree-planting initiative,” but Torre reported that its operations were largely fabricated. While marketed as an environmental enterprise with global ambitions, investigators found little to no evidence of the organization carrying out its stated mission. The endorsement deal, however, was very real—Leonard reportedly signed on, believing it to be a legitimate brand partnership.
Torre’s report suggests that the money behind the company came directly from Ballmer, whose tech fortune makes him one of the wealthiest owners in all of professional sports. The alleged strategy: structure payments to Leonard as “endorsement income” rather than salary, allowing the Clippers to offer him far more financial incentive than the salary cap technically permits.
If true, the implications are seismic. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement is built on competitive balance, and circumventing salary rules is considered one of the most serious offenses an owner or franchise can commit. Past cases of “cap circumvention” have led to heavy fines, forfeited draft picks, and voided contracts. This would be the first time in recent memory that an active All-Star and a high-profile owner were directly implicated in such a scheme.
As of now, neither Kawhi Leonard nor Steve Ballmer has publicly commented on the report. The Clippers organization has also not issued a statement, and the NBA has not confirmed whether an official investigation is underway. For Leonard, who has built a career on his quiet demeanor and desire to avoid the spotlight, the allegations threaten to cast a shadow on his reputation. For Ballmer, the league’s most energetic owner and a central figure in the Clippers’ rebranding, the stakes are equally high.
Fans immediately reacted online, with many questioning how such a scheme could go unnoticed for so long. Some expressed skepticism, pointing out that Leonard has historically been careful with his business relationships. Others argued that even if Leonard did not know the company was fraudulent, the optics of receiving such a massive endorsement deal raise serious concerns.
The timing of Torre’s report is also notable, with the Clippers preparing for a season where Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden are expected to lead the team in their brand-new arena. Any investigation into Ballmer or Leonard could become a massive distraction and reshape the franchise’s immediate future.
For now, this remains a developing story. Torre’s claims have yet to be confirmed by league officials, but the seriousness of the allegations virtually guarantees that the NBA will be forced to address them publicly. If evidence supports the report, the Clippers could face unprecedented penalties, and Kawhi Leonard’s legacy could take a dramatic turn.