Amid the association's investigation of a report centered around Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and forward Kawhi Leonard, NBA insider Zach Lowe says league executives believe the organization has a lot of explaining to do. The NBA is reportedly looking into Ballmer and Leonard, following reporter Pablo Torre's scathing reveal of Kawhi's “no-show” job accusation.

Lowe says he expects the rest of the NBA to demand a thorough investigation into Leonard and the Clippers, which could lead to sever penalties, he said, per Oh No He Didn't's X, formerly Twitter.

“Overwhelmingly, the response I've gotten from all over the league is the league has to dig really deep on this, take it seriously, and lay the hammer down if the punishment fits the crime, if they find stuff that is worth laying the hammer down,” Lowe said. “And I've even had people who were like I've already seen enough for them to do something to the Clippers. Not Joe-Smith something, which was five first-round picks, and suspensions for Glen Taylor and Kevin McHale. I think it went down to three first-round picks in the end.”

Taylor and McHale were suspended by the NBA in 2000 for a secret contract deal with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joe Smith that violated the league's cap rules. Lowe read a message he received from a league executive.

“Most people I've talked to think the Clippers need to explain this now,” the anonymous executive told Lowe. “They have the job to prove their innocence at this point. The NBA doesn't need a text message or an e-mail. It's now on the Clippers and Kawhi to explain this away more than “we didn't know and these are bad guys” about the company. The onus is now on the Clippers. The majority of people are somewhere between outraged and monitoring the situation.”

Pablo Torre says NBA in ‘panic' over Clippers, Kawhi Leonard saga

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Clippers owner Steve Ballmer speaks before introducing newly signed players Paul George and Kawhi Leonard at Green Meadows Recreation Center
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly committed to $48 million in his “side venture” from Aspiration, the now bankrupt company, which allowed the Clippers to circumvent the NBA salary cap, according to Pablo Torre's report. Initially, Torre reported Leonard receiving $28 million. The deal was to be paid in quarterly installments over four years. As the NBA continues its investigating, numerous reports have surfaced over the past 24 hours.

Torre says the potential scandal has the NBA in a state of panic, he said, per the Dan Patrick Show.

“From the NBA perspective, what I've been told this morning is that it's been a bit of panic over there,” Torre said. “I'm told that they did not know about this deal between Steve Ballmer, or at the very least between Aspiration and Kawhi Leonard with the influence of Steve Ballmer according to our reporting being the driving force of it. So yeah, it's going to get a a little messy.”

The NBA will have an update at some point in the near future.