It’s been nearly a year since Pablo Torre brought Kawhi Leonard’s sponsorship deal with Aspiration to light, an arrangement that allegedly challenged the way the NBA regulates salaries, trades, and free agency. One that has since sat at the center of an ongoing investigation, which suddenly received a fresh mountain of evidence, because Torre himself revealed that the deal might not be as unique and exceptional as once thought. In fact, it could be one of several.
And that, according to what he revealed on Pablo Torre Finds Out, Kawhi supposedly had a sponsorship agreement with Daktronics, the company responsible for designing the videoboards inside the Intuit Dome. A deal that, according to an anonymous source working at the arena, was “a way to dodge salary caps, using Daktronics as an intermediary to give Kawhi more money.”
BREAKING: Kawhi Leonard had a hidden, multimillion-dollar “sponsorship” with Clippers’ scoreboard-maker, sources tell @PabloTorre.
“It was 1,000% a way to circumvent the salary cap,” insider says.
In our investigation, Daktronics’ Ballmer-linked crisis firm raises NBA probe ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/LU1AeBAF44— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) August 7, 2026
The details on this matter remain scarce, but the signs seem clear. Torre notes that it isn’t yet clear when the agreement was signed, but cites a former Clippers executive who says the offices were aware of its existence. As of today, however, Leonard does not have any active contract with the company.
How Long Will This Last?
This information appears to confirm what The Athletic had indicated a few weeks ago, namely that, in its information-gathering process, the NBA was examining a possible second sponsor used to circumvent salary rules. Thus, it seems the amount of evidence against the franchise and the player keeps growing, and we seem to be headed toward a sanction that should be exemplary, yet this saga is beginning to feel like a never-ending story and the situation is starting to wear on more than a few people.
And in general, the mood around the league and among fans is that the whole process has dragged on for too long. Many want a sanction imposed now, the Clippers themselves want to put an end to the uncertainty, and even the other franchises want to know what the consequences will be. Notably, Toronto is still waiting to know what punishment Kawhi will receive to decide whether to complete or not the trade agreed more than a month ago.
Adam Silver stated not long ago that the process was dragging on too long and that everything would be resolved before the start of the regular season, but shortly after ESPN disputed the commissioner, pointing to 2027 as a possible resolution date. We do not know if it was during those days that the Daktronics information emerged, which complicates the process, or if Silver was really trying to put the issue to rest, but the truth is that, 11 months later, it does not seem we are any closer to a solution.
And at this point, more than a few would prefer to resolve it now, even with the investigation incomplete, rather than another year spent chasing this new thread.
