The ongoing investigation into whether Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer attempted to circumvent the NBA salary cap through the signing of Kawhi Leonard has taken a dramatic turn. Journalist Pablo Torre has once again stirred controversy, releasing new information that has raised serious questions about financial dealings surrounding the team.
Torre made his revelations through a tweet, a platform he has effectively used to generate debate and draw attention to complex issues. This time, his research focused on a previous tweet by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, a longtime defender of Ballmer. Cuban’s message suggested there were concerns involving external investors and a massive carbon credit deal worth over $50 million.
Cuban’s September 17 tweet read:
If I had to point to the things that the NBA should look at… it’s going to start with whether Dennis and Steve were the only outside investors when the company needed money so badly… Second thing I would look at was the $50 million deal the Clippers had for carbon credits. Carbon credits are a dicey business, to put it mildly… Did the Clippers pay the money upfront or not? That would be a red flag if they did specifically because it’s a dicey business.
Pablo Torre responded quickly, teasing even more explosive details.
We’ll get to the first thing Cuban wrote about outside investors in a minute.” … “But the second thing is where things get really wild.
Torre posted.
Documents reveal deeper financial connections
According to documents obtained by Torre, the Clippers not only paid upfront for the carbon credits but also made a $3 million payment on April 1, 2022. Just three days later, on April 4 -the same day Kawhi Leonard signed a $28 million deal with the company Aspiration– the Clippers transferred an additional $32 million.
Torre stated that the total transfer amounted to $56,434,62 in prepaid carbon credits over a short period. These transactions appear to align closely with payments made to Leonard by Aspiration, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the arrangement and weakening Cuban’s defense of Ballmer.
Adding to the suspicion, Torre pointed out that the paperwork surrounding the carbon credit ownership transfer coincided perfectly with the first payment to Leonard. This “perfect choreography,” as he described it, has raised concerns about whether these moves were carefully orchestrated to disguise improper financial activity.
Despite mounting questions, Cuban has remained a staunch supporter of Ballmer. On September 15, Cuban attempted to clarify the timeline, asserting that Aspiration had already accessed a significant portion of the escrow money before Ballmer became involved.
Correction. However, Aspiration took all the escrow money before they were even introduced to Kawhi. This part should have been edited out… Aspire took MOST of the escrow money and the first $20 million BEFORE BALLMER INTRODUCED ASPIRE TO Kawhi’s team.
Cuban wrote.
Narrative shifting against Ballmer
These revelations weaken the narrative that Ballmer was merely caught in the crossfire of Aspiration’s actions. The financial trail uncovered by Torre suggests a direct link between the Clippers’ transfers and Leonard’s contract, placing Ballmer in a far more active role than previously believed.
As Torre’s reporting continues to reveal contracts, documents, and payment records connecting Leonard to the team’s business dealings, the NBA faces increasing pressure to scrutinize the exact timing and nature of these transactions.
The league must now determine whether this was a series of coincidences-or evidence of a deliberate scheme to sidestep NBA salary cap rules.
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