The NBA star that may be next after Kawhi Leonard contract bombshell
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson may be next up after an investigation into Kawhi Leonard’s contract saw some interesting alleged conclusions.
It didn’t take long for the shocking allegations of Kawhi Leonard’s reported ‘no-show’ deal to filter out into the wider world of the NBA.
The bombshell revelation said that the two-time NBA champion was being paid his $28 million endorsement deal without fulfilling any substantial promotional duties.
News outlets filled their pages with comments from investigative journalist Pablo Torre, who led the deep dive on the numbers that appeared to suggest that Ballmer, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, had circumvented the NBA’s salary cap rules. According to Torre, Ballmer’s company received $50 million in funding, with Leonard’s $28 million contract part of the scheme.
“My tipline has never been more used by enemies of Jalen Brunson”
In the aftermath of the episode’s release, Torre made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, where he revealed that several people have requested he look into Jalen Brunson’s finances after the All-Star left $113 million on the table to re-sign with the Knicks.
“My tipline has never been more used by enemies of Jalen Brunson. ‘Look into that one,’ as well as James Harden and all of those rumours from the past.”
“Well, look, how he arrived at the Knicks, this is where I have to defer to the reporting I may or may not do on this, certainly was interesting… That’s a pretty good deal for the Knicks, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself… It’s a bit of a tease.”
In 2022, the NBA found the Knicks guilty of tampering — talking to the player before the end of his contract — and were punished: “The NBA announced today that the New York Knicks violated league rules governing the timing of this season’s free agency discussions and that the league has rescinded New York’s own second-round pick in the 2025 Draft. This outcome reflected a finding, following an investigation, that the Knicks engaged in free agency discussions involving Jalen Brunson prior to the date when such discussions were permitted. The team fully cooperated with the investigation," they wrote in a statement at the time. In the end, Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks instead of re-signing with the Dallas Mavericks.
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
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