The NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers has taken another explosive turn.
Leonard allegedly held an undisclosed multimillion-dollar sponsorship agreement with Daktronics, the company responsible for building the enormous Halo Board inside the Clippers’ Intuit Dome.
The reported arrangement has raised fresh questions about whether money was channelled to Leonard outside his official NBA contract.
According to reporting by Pablo Torre, a high-level contractor who worked on the Intuit Dome project alleged the agreement was “1,000% a way to circumvent the salary cap”.
“It was funneling money from the Clippers through Daktronics back to Kawhi,” the unnamed source claimed.
The allegations remain unproven, and neither the NBA nor its investigators have announced a finding that Leonard, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer or the franchise violated league rules.
Leonard’s alleged Daktronics deal
A former high-level Clippers official also told Torre that they knew Leonard had a sponsorship agreement with Daktronics and described it as a multimillion-dollar deal.
However, key details remain unclear, including when the alleged agreement began, how much Leonard was reportedly paid and what promotional obligations it contained.
A representative for Daktronics told Hunterbrook Media that Leonard does not currently have a contract with the company.
“My understanding is Daktronics doesn’t have a deal with Kawhi right now,” the representative said.
That statement does not establish whether an agreement existed previously.
Daktronics designed and manufactured the Intuit Dome’s Halo Board, which the company describes as the largest-ever double-sided halo display inside an arena. The Clippers’ $2 billion home venue opened in August 2024.
The company’s connection to Leonard is now particularly significant because NBA investigators were already examining a previously undisclosed endorsement involving another business.
NBA investigation grows beyond Aspiration
The league’s original investigation centres on Leonard’s reported four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement with the now-bankrupt sustainability company Aspiration.
Aspiration announced a 23-year, $300 million partnership with the Clippers in September 2021. Ballmer invested $50 million in the company that same month, while Leonard’s endorsement agreement was signed in April 2022.
The Clippers and Ballmer have repeatedly denied using Aspiration to funnel additional compensation to Leonard. Ballmer has maintained that the franchise introduced Leonard’s representatives to the company but played no role in negotiating the subsequent agreement.
Leonard has also rejected suggestions that it was a no-show arrangement, previously saying he did not believe that description was accurate.
Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in June 2026 after defrauding investors and lenders of approximately $248 million. Ballmer has said he was “flagrantly defrauded” and lost a total of $60 million through his involvement with the company.
The NBA appointed law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct its investigation. That inquiry has reportedly expanded to examine other expenses allegedly provided to Leonard and the second endorsement agreement now linked to Daktronics.
Commissioner Adam Silver has said the matter “needs to be wrapped up” before the beginning of the next NBA season.
The uncertainty has also complicated Leonard’s proposed return to Toronto. The Raptors’ agreement to acquire the two-time NBA Finals MVP remains on hold while the investigation continues.
Read more about the NBA’s deadline for completing the Leonard investigation and Toronto’s refusal to finalise the blockbuster trade
