Most Frustrated Team in Kawhi Leonard Controversy Revealed as NBA Front Offices Go Into Panic

If you’ve been seeing Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers making headlines nonstop, here’s why: the NBA has officially launched an investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi, Steve Ballmer, and the Clippers. It all kicked off when journalist Pablo Torre dropped a bombshell on his podcast, revealing leaked documents linking Leonard to a $28 million marketing deal with Aspiration, a start-up partly funded by Ballmer himself. And behind the scenes? Panic. Torre said on ESPN LA, “Look, I am told that there has been a level of panic over there… the team that is most frustrated by the ways in which this class of owners throws their wealth around… typically is the Oklahoma City Thunder.”

And it makes sense why OKC would be the most frustrated here. Pablo Torre reminded everyone that the Thunder are “not merely the champions of the last NBA season, but the champions who won their championship because of the deal where Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. That’s how they got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s how they got a bunch of those picks, right?”

Back in 2019, the Clippers’ blockbuster trade to pair Leonard with Paul George sent Shai to OKC, along with Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, and two future pick swaps. Fast forward to now—Shai just locked in a record-setting 4-year, $285 million extension, the highest single-season average salary in NBA history.

(This is a developing story…)

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