The bizarre set of circumstances surrounding Kawhi Leonard took another strange turn on Friday when Pablo Torrre dropped a fresh episode highlighting yet another secret sponsorship Leonard reportedly had with the Los Angeles Clippers’ scoreboard maker. Throw this on top of all the previous Aspiration allegations and it’s becoming even more unclear what the future holds for Leonard, whose trade to the Toronto Raptors is on hold as the NBA investigates.

Not long ago, people may have assumed that there would be some sort of quick resolution to all of this, even as Torre has gained a ton of attention for exposing what could be deemed as salary cap circumvention. But as more comes out, things look more serious and it’s going to be even more difficult for the NBA to simply hand-wave this away.

MORE: Pablo Torre reveals another secret Kawhi Leonard Clippers sponsorship

Count Stephen A. Smith among those who believes a heavy shoe will eventually drop.

“The Clippers are in a world of trouble,” Smith said. “It should be entertained that Kawhi Leonard should be banned for a year.”

“The Clippers are in a world of trouble… It should be entertained that Kawhi Leonard should be banned for a year.” 😬@stephenasmith comments on the controversy surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s sponsorship deal 👀 pic.twitter.com/6CJLpyH3mm

— First Take (@FirstTake) August 7, 2026

Smith’s commentary sounds exactly right. Yet it’s still jarring to hear after all these months as things have taken a much more serious turn recently. Leonard missing a year would surely mean some bad consequences for the Clippers. And for the Raptors as their big offseason acquisition may never come to be.

The same tension that’s existed continues to exist. If Torre has this reservoir of material to draw upon for new episodes, then how can the NBA feel confident that it’s reached the end of the road for its investigation. As we speak the days are getting shorter and the next season is drawing closer. Yet the intrigue over Leonard exists.

Smith, one of the biggest names in the media, sounds like he’s bracing people for impact and trying to help them set expectations. At this point a year-long suspension does not seem impossible. Heck, it may feel probable.

We’re a long way from where this whole thing started and it appears to not be ending in a great place for those invovled.

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