New bombshell allegations revealed in Kawhi Leonard investigation

The NBA investigation currently holding up the trade that would send Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors has taken another turn, with new allegations about an alleged under-the-table deal between the two-time NBA Finals MVP and a stadium jumbotron company.

On Thursday, investigative sports journalist Pablo Torre revealed on his podcast that Leonard allegedly had another secret, multi-million-dollar deal with jumbotron company Daktronics, which the Los Angeles Clippers were allegedly using to circumvent the NBA's salary cap.

A former high-level Clippers employee told Torre that the organization used the company to funnel money back to Leonard and described the arrangement as "1000 per cent a way to circumvent the salary cap."

Leonard reportedly had a multi-million-dollar deal to serve as a spokesperson for Daktronics, despite the company having no history of using celebrity endorsements and being a B2B product.

BREAKING: Kawhi Leonard had a hidden, multimillion-dollar "sponsorship" with Clippers' scoreboard-maker, sources tell @PabloTorre.

"It was 1,000% a way to circumvent the salary cap," insider says.

In our investigation, Daktronics' Ballmer-linked crisis firm raises NBA probe ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/LU1AeBAF44

— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) August 7, 2026

Torre's team contacted Daktronics about its relationship with Leonard, and a public relations representative reportedly said the company does not currently have a deal with him and that they "don't know" what to say given the ongoing NBA investigation.

The latest allegation comes as the NBA continues investigating Leonard and the Clippers over another alleged salary-cap circumvention scheme involving a now-bankrupt third-party company.

According to previous reports, the Clippers allegedly arranged a $28 million "no-show" endorsement deal for Leonard outside the NBA's salary cap when he signed a four-year, $176 million extension with the team in 2021.

Under the NBA's rules, players cannot receive compensation through outside endorsement deals outside of the salary cap.

The latest allegations will likely further complicate matters for both the Clippers and Raptors, who agreed to a blockbuster trade for Leonard on June 30.

Toronto would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two second-round picks in 2030 and 2033 to Los Angeles in exchange for the superstar.

The trade, however, is currently on hold while the NBA completes its investigation.

If Leonard's contract is voided as a result, the trade could be cancelled, sending Ingram, Dick, and the draft picks back to Toronto, leaving the Clippers without Leonard.

Leonard would then become a free agent — though the Raptors would have to decide whether they still want to bring him to Toronto.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver previously said he hoped the investigation would be completed before the start of the 2026-27 season. Several reports suggest the investigation could extend well beyond that point due to the legal process involved.