The biggest storyline heading into the 2025-26 NBA season for the Los Angeles Clippers is the ongoing investigation by the NBA into the team regarding an alleged no-show deal taken by Kawhi Leonard to help the organization sidestep the league salary cap. If proven to be true, the consequences could be dire for the Clippers, with many pointing to the 2001 Minnesota Timberwolves as precedent.
Owner Steve Ballmer and the Clippers have denied the allegations, which were first brought forth by sports reporter Pablo Torre. However, a recent Wall Street Journal article that essentially recycled Torre's reporting without even mentioning him until the tail-end did confirm one key detail that Torre since went to X, formerly Twitter, to break down.
“In December 2021, (Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg told a high-ranking Aspiration executive that the Clippers had approached him about doing a deal with Leonard, their injured star. The executive recalled Sanberg as saying: ‘This is important to the Clippers,'” recycled the article.
“But the most insane thing about this new WSJ story on Aspiration is that this massive scoop that I’ve been circling — which *directly contradicts what Steve Ballmer told ESPN* — is buried, like, halfway through. This is big,” reported Torre on X, formerly Twitter.
Ballmer claimed during a recent ESPN interview that Aspiration had asked the Clippers to make the introduction between themselves and Leonard, but this reporting indicates that the opposite is true, which isn't great news for Los Angeles.
A tumoltuous time for the Clippers
Meanwhile, as the investigation rolls on, the Los Angeles Clippers are trying to prepare for the upcoming season, one in which they will trot out what would be the oldest lineup in the NBA were it not for the Golden State Warriors.
Leonard is seemingly healthy heading into a season for the first time in a while, but it remains to be seen if that will remain the case throughout the year.
In any case, the Clippers are set to kick off their season on October 22 on the road against the Utah Jazz.
