The Los Angeles Clippers and star forward Kawhi Leonard have been in the news for the wrong reasons lately after sports investigator Pablo Torre uncovered a story about a suspicious endorsement deal.
The findings have led to questions about whether the Clippers circumvented the NBA salary cap in order to get extra money in Leonard’s pocket.
While the situation has drawn a wide variety of reactions from folks in the NBA world, former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Channing Frye recently offered one that goes against the grain.
Channing Frye calls out Pablo Torre for his Kawhi reports:
“First of all, why you snitchin? Who cares?”
(via @RoadTrippinPod) pic.twitter.com/YoECGaQH10
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 12, 2025
Very little is confirmed in the Leonard situation, but the league is now investigating the matter to determine whether there was any wrongdoing. The Clippers have denied skirting the cap.
Leonard picked the Clippers over the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers in 2019 in a move that surprised some. The Lakers are said to be very glad that Leonard didn’t end up with them, according to a team source.
“We wanted him in 2019, but we count our blessings all the time he’s not here,” the source told Lakers Daily. “He’s been such a headache for the Clippers. I actually feel bad for them sometimes.”
Leonard won a title with the Raptors before taking his talents to the Clippers. He spent just one season with Toronto and certainly made the most of it before departing.
Unfortunately, with the Clippers, he hasn’t enjoyed a very smooth stint. It has been plagued by injury woes, playoff shortcomings and now the latest drama surrounding the endorsement deal.
Despite all of that, it isn’t too late for him to add some life to his Clippers tenure, especially given the roster they’ll be working with in the new season. They’ve made some key additions this offseason to complement Leonard and co-star James Harden, and if the chips fall in their favor, they could be contenders in the Western Conference. Keep in mind, the Clippers have never won an NBA title or made an NBA Finals.
In the meantime, the NBA’s investigation into the endorsement deal will certainly be worth keeping an eye on and could serve as a bit of a cloud over the franchise until it’s settled. If the league finds any wrongdoing, it could hit L.A. with some form of punishment.