Did a New York Knicks superstar agree to a team-friendly contract in free agency because he was making additional money elsewhere?
That appears to be a possibility, according to an NBA expert who would know.
But first, some context.
A bombshell Kawhi Leonard scandal
Per The Athletic’s Pablo Torre, on a new episode of his “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, six-time All-Star L.A. Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard may have agreed to a phony endorsement deal as an added sweetener to stay with the franchise.
Exclusive: Kawhi Leonard signed a $28M endorsement deal for a “no-show job” with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50M from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, according to documents obtained by @PabloTorre.
“It was to circumvent the salary cap,” an inside source says. pic.twitter.com/F6z5pNEkI1
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025
Torre reports that Leonard has allegedly been paid $28 million in endorsement money from former L.A. sponsor Aspiration, a possibly fraudulent tree-planting company in which Clippers governor Steve Ballmer invested $50 million. The timing of the agreement coincides pretty closely with Leonard’s four-year, $176.3 million contract extension he signed in August 2021.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, NBA spokesperson Mike Bass has announced that the league will be investigating Torre’s claims. It’s possible that, if the Clippers and Leonard are found culpable of essentially agreeing to an under-the-table bonus, they could be in for severe sanctions and potentially other punishments.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass tells ESPN: “We are aware of this morning’s media report regarding the LA Clippers and are commencing an investigation.”
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 3, 2025
Leonard was the most sought-after free agent in 2019, fresh off guiding the Toronto Raptors to his second NBA championship — with a second team. Now, it’s possible that the Clippers are offsetting his team-friendly extensions with some added cash.
The last time this happened, as longtime NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson recalls, former NBA commissioner David Stern severely punished the Minnesota Timberwolves for violating the salary cap through an improper deal with center Joe Smith.
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The NBA fined Minnesota $3.5 million (a much more valuable sum for a league franchise 25 years ago), forced the team to void the contract, removed five first-round picks from the team (although two were later returned), suspended then-owner Glen Taylor, and made then-GM Kevin McHale take a leave of absence.
In response to all this, Charania has revealed an extensive statement from the Clippers refuting Torre’s claims.
Clippers statement: pic.twitter.com/2nZR75JCTo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 4, 2025
So what does any of this have to do with New York?
During a new conversation on “The Dan Patrick Show” in light of the report’s release, Torre hinted that an All-NBA Knicks superstar might be the subject of a similar, subsequent investigation.
Pablo Torre indicates (that after outing Kawhi & the Clippers) he is looking into the Knicks & Jalen Brunson next pic.twitter.com/NnRuecc0DU
— Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) September 3, 2025
“It’s funny, my tip line here has never been more used by enemies of Jalen Brunson. Like, ‘Look into that one!'” Torre said. “Well look, how he arrived at the Knicks, this is where I will have to defer to the reporting I may or may not do on this. Certainly it was interesting, right? That’s a pretty good deal for the Knicks… It’s a bit of a tease. I’m showing a little ankle with you, I always show a little bit more ankle than I should with you.”
Brunson, a two-time All-NBA honoree and a two-time All-Star, has actually agreed to two team-friendly deals with the Knicks.
Fresh off a run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals as the second-best player on the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson jumped ship on a four-season, $104 million deal in free agency. He instantly made that deal look like it was far below market value, emerging as the fulcrum for a New York revival.
Last summer, he agreed to a four-season, $156.5 million contract extension with the Knicks — big money, for sure, but less than he would have made had he just waited to hit the open market as a free agent as soon as this summer (he had a player option for 2025-26 prior to the extension).
In a largely unprecedented financial concession to give roster flexibility to a contender, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has agreed on a four-year, $156.5 million extension, his agent Sam Rose of CAA tells ESPN — $113M less guaranteed than he’s eligible to receive in one… pic.twitter.com/DDJvz7TUlr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2024
The second deal is the stranger one. Brunson left $113 million on the table to return to New York, allegedly to help the club compensate role players around him. In fairness, the Knicks have thrived since then.
In 65 healthy bouts last season for the 51-31 Knicks, the 29-year-old point guard averaged 26.0 points on .488/.383/.821 shooting splits, 7.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals a night. He guided the club to its first Eastern Conference Finals berth in a quarter century as clearly its best player.
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