Pablo Torre had many notable names in the NBA reach out to him to share worries about the league not punishing the LA Clippers.
The LA Clippers might be getting ready to play their first preseason game this week, but internally, they are still dealing with the controversy with Aspiration.
Pablo Torre revealed the Clippers allegedly used Aspiration to circumvent the salary cap and pay Kawhi Leonard beyond the NBA’s max contract limit.
Steve Ballmer vehemently denied the allegations and blamed Aspiration for the situation. However, the NBA did announce an investigation into the LA Clippers.
Most recently, Torre provided more evidence of Ballmer’s involvement. But there are those within the NBA who are concerned about the league’s potential punishment for the Clippers.
Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty ImagesNBA teams worried LA Clippers will not be punished, concerned about ‘retribution’ for speaking out
Pablo Torre spoke to Marc Stein about his investigation into the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. When discussing his conversations with other NBA officials, Torre revealed what they said to him.
He noted that many in the NBA are concerned the league will not punish the Clippers appropriately for their alleged wrongdoing. Furthermore, they’re worried that the NBA will take action against those who speak out about this matter.
“There is a throughline in all of the calls, from the head coach to GM to ownership levels. And it is a genuine concern that the league office isn’t going to punish this in ways that reflect the seriousness and the historical difference…
“From the Commissioner’s Office perspective, if you look at the throughline of it has dealt with controversy – shrinking the PR problem, reacting to the PR problem has been the prime directive.
“Of course, it’s a business, and they’re sensitive to that. What’s different about this story is, of course, the magnitude of the money involved.
Pablo Torre says there are some coaches, GMs, and ownership figures across the league, who have expressed “genuine concern” that the Clippers won’t be punished — along with a “fear of retribution” from the NBA for even anonymously speaking about the investigation, per… pic.twitter.com/gAQV39tirD
— APHoops (@APH00PS) October 6, 2025
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“The character of Steve Ballmer, who is, by the way, a chair of the NBA’s audit committee, which is just a funny footnote in all of this…
“There is fear of retribution if they talk about it. There are a lot of people who love to talk about this stuff, but without attribution and anonymous quoting.
“They are concerned that the league is not here to entertain such thinking out loud… They just worry from a pure, fair play perspective – there’s a difference between misdemeanors and felonies… They wonder whether that’s going to be reflected in the punishment.”
Pablo Torre reveals no one from NBA investigation reached out to him
In another interesting bit of information, Pablo Torre revealed that no one from the Clippers, the NBA, or the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, who are leading the independent investigation, has contacted him.
He questioned why that may be, given how much of the information he unearthed and his wealth of sources in and around Aspiration.
Pablo Torre says no one from the NBA or Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz — the law firm leading the investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers — has reached out to him for insight, per @TheSteinLine.
“I would just say… call me up. Call me up. But no one from the NBA… pic.twitter.com/dJf6CuP487
— APHoops (@APH00PS) October 6, 2025
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It looks like the Clippers are set for a lengthy investigation. But should the NBA not find the Clippers guilty, other NBA teams will be emboldened to follow suit.
This could mean NBA teams using the same or similar cap circumvention measures that the Clippers have been accused of using. But for now, the NBA must take this investigation as seriously as possible.