KFBF
Superstar
You'll get your wish in two years breh. You can make it.
'We Got High Aspirations To Smoke Trees Not Plant Them", signed The Unction... Official '25-'26 LA Clippers Season Thread
- Thread starter pete clemenza
- Start date
You'll get your wish in two years breh. You can make it.
KFBF
Superstar
Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers, and the worth of it all
Has L.A. outgrown the need for their star?
open.substack.com
KFBF
Superstar
Why the Clippers should trade for Zion Williamson — now
With the NBA's investigation of the Clippers ongoing, should the franchise push all of its chips to the middle and pursue another star?
Bunch of bad ideas. If you believe the team will end up penalized for circumventing the cap, then trading all your picks to avoid punishment also seems like a bad idea. Also trading for Zion, Ingram, or MPJ are just non starters for me. Habwrstroh is such an idiot.
KFBF
Superstar
Lue confirmed Beal was starting. A lot of bozos were insisting he'd come off the bench and Collins would start.
When Lue was asked if Collins would start he said he couldn't remember.
When Lue was asked if Collins would start he said he couldn't remember.
Last edited:
Beal is already slightly injured going into training camp/preseason. Might be Cam Christie and/or Miller time on the low.
Also looks like Kawhi got some media training in answering the Aspiration scandal questions during media day
KFBF
Superstar
I predict the starters are:
Harden
Beal
DJJ
Kawhi
Zu
If Beal can't go when the season starts then Collins ends up in starting lineup. It's going to take a lot for Miller or Christie to get any time in my opinion. Their path to minutes is Bogdan being completely washed I think. Thsres not minutes for them as far as I can tell.
Don't need media training to tell the truth.Also looks like Kawhi got some media training in answering the Aspiration scandal questions during media day
I have to think Beal was promised the starting job as a part of the deal. How that actually works out defensively with Harden 
They almost have to start Dunn at the 3 and Kawhi at the 4 to have any chance at getting stops
They almost have to start Dunn at the 3 and Kawhi at the 4 to have any chance at getting stops
KFBF
Superstar
he doesn't end up with clippers without being promised starting job. If Beal can just be bad and not horrible I think zu, djj, and Kawhi can probably cover well enough for him. If they start Collins instead of djj Jeff van gundy going to kill someone them himself.I have to think Beal was promised the starting job as a part of the deal. How that actually works out defensively with Harden
They almost have to start Dunn at the 3 and Kawhi at the 4 to have any chance at getting stops
KFBF
Superstar
I don't know if it got mentioned here but Amir signed with The Bucks.
KFBF
Superstar
Notes from Justin Russo's latest write up:
sixth day of 2025-26 LA Clippers training camp:
sixth day of 2025-26 LA Clippers training camp:
- James Harden could be seen in the background running up and down the stairs at Intuit Dome, getting an extra workout in while Beal and Jones did their media availabilities.
- Media was granted access to see the “Stay Ready” game, which featured a lot of the young players but also had Bogdan Bogdanovic in it as the veteran guard works his way back into playing shape. Bogdanovic looked great as he drilled several jumpers, finished a layup, and ran the offense for his group.
- In that same game, center Yanic Konan Niederhauser delivered a mammoth tomahawk dunk. Afterward, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the rookie’s development in camp: “Slowly getting better. Just starting to pick things up where he can play free and not be thinking while he’s playing. That’s hard to do. I think he’s understanding the defense now, I think offensively he understands what he’s supposed to be doing and he’s getting better every day.”
- Second-round draft pick Kobe Sanders was another standout during the scrimmage portion, knocking down multiple 3s, including one as the shot clock buzzer sounded.
- If you’re asking me what the starting lineup will likely be in Thursday’s preseason opener, I’d probably lean heavily towards James Harden, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Ivica Zubac.
New season thread title comin' soon 
KFBF
Superstar
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The LA Clippers are “eager for the [NBA] investigation” and “confident” in how it will unfold, according to a team source who spoke with Russo Writes.
The investigation, of course, references the ongoing league probe into alleged salary cap circumvention that stems from a partnership between the team, its star player, its owner, and a former team sponsor.
In September, Pablo Torre’s “Pablo Torre Finds Out”podcast brought to light that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had funded at least $50 million to an environmental start-up company, Aspiration. The company would eventually become a team sponsor who also reached an agreement with the team’s star player, Kawhi Leonard, for a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal in 2022.
Allegations of direct salary cap circumvention came to the forefront, something that the Clippers have vehemently denied over the last month since Torre’s bombshell report dropped.
In a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shortly after the story broke, Ballmer said that he was “conned” by Aspiration, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March following the arrest of their co-founder on fraud charges.
“These were guys who committed fraud,” Ballmer told Shelburne. “They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me at this stage. I have no ability to predict why they might have done anything they did, let alone the specific contract with Kawhi.”
As further details were unearthed, the timeline of events became optically damning for the Clippers.
Payments to Leonard were allegedly made within days or weeks of investment infusions from Ballmer. However, optics alone, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, aren’t enough to penalize someone.
“The burden is on the league if we are going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver said when he spoke on Sept. 10 following a Board of Governors meeting. “I think, as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”
Silver would continue.
“I’d say in the case of the league, we and our investigators look at the totality of the evidence,” he said. “I think whether mere appearance, just by the way those words read, I think as a matter of fundamental fairness, I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety.”
On Monday, Silver stated that there was “no contemplation of moving” the upcoming 2026 All-Star Game out of Intuit Dome amidst the ongoing investigation.
On the Clippers’ end, they are aware of how the timeline of events looks from an optical perspective, maintaining their innocence and looking forward to the investigative process playing out, sources tell Russo Writes.
The timing of the allegations and their proximity to the opening of training camp meant that there would at least be a statement of some kind coming relatively soon. While five teams did their media day early due to them having to travel outside of the United States, the Clippers were one of the 25 teams set to host their annual media day on Sept. 29.
Frank, who in years past has done his annual presser about a week before media day, opted to speak with reporters on the day of, shortly before players were made available.
“I’m not naive. I know there are a lot of questions about our organization. I wish I could answer them all. But out of respect to the NBA investigation, I can’t,” Frank said in a prepared statement. “What I can do is answer what I’m able to share. I will say this: We are glad there’s an investigation. And we welcome it. We appreciate that there will be a clear-eyed look at these allegations. We’re eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. We expect the investigation will show that these allegations are wrong.”
Frank has been at the helm of the decision-making process for the Clippers since August 2017, making Frank one of the longest-tenured NBA executives at his position level.
“We do look forward to providing the facts to the league so they can see the entire picture, which I think is critical,” Frank said. “We feel very, very confident we’re on the right side of this, and we’ll just focus on what we can control and trust the investigative process.”
Leonard, like Frank before him, met with media on Sept. 29. Of the 12 questions Leonard was asked during his 7-minute presser, seven of them, at least in some capacity, had to do with the ongoing investigation.
“I don’t read headlines or do conspiracy theories or anything like that,” Leonard said. “The NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no [sic] wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigation. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”
When asked about his understanding of the endorsement deal with Aspiration and if he performed any services for them, Leonard said, “I understand the full contract and the services that I had to do. Like I said, I don’t deal with the conspiracies or the clickbait analysts or journalism that’s going on. That’s what it is.”
Leonard would go on to add some more thoughts on the matter after fielding various questions about the investigation.
“It’s old. This is all new to you guys,” Leonard said. “The company went bankrupt a while ago, so we already knew this was gonna happen.”
Before Leonard talked, Frank was questioned about whether Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, had ever asked for any extra benefits that wouldn’t be allowable under the NBA salary cap.
“Dennis knows the rules, Kawhi knows the rules, [Leonard’s agent] Mitch Frankel knows the rules, and we know the rules,” Frank said.
Frank was then asked if that was a “yes or no”.
“Yes, we all know the rules,” Frank replied.
Frank’s response was directly in line with Ballmer’s during his sit-down interview on ESPN.
“They know the rules. They—meaning Kawhi and his representatives, including his uncle. We know the rules,” Ballmer said. “If anything’s not clear, we remind ourselves what the rules are, and we make absolutely clear we’re gonna abide by those rules, and they understand them, as well. It’s important for them to abide by them, which they have.”
The investigation, which will likely take a while to wrap up, will determine whether or not everyone involved in the allegations did indeed adhere to that.
Should the Clippers fail to be exonerated, the punishment could be severe, including up to a $7.5 million fine, the forfeiture of future draft picks, the voiding of contracts, and/or the suspension of their owner and team executives.
justinrusso.substack.com
The investigation, of course, references the ongoing league probe into alleged salary cap circumvention that stems from a partnership between the team, its star player, its owner, and a former team sponsor.
In September, Pablo Torre’s “Pablo Torre Finds Out”podcast brought to light that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had funded at least $50 million to an environmental start-up company, Aspiration. The company would eventually become a team sponsor who also reached an agreement with the team’s star player, Kawhi Leonard, for a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal in 2022.
Allegations of direct salary cap circumvention came to the forefront, something that the Clippers have vehemently denied over the last month since Torre’s bombshell report dropped.
In a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shortly after the story broke, Ballmer said that he was “conned” by Aspiration, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March following the arrest of their co-founder on fraud charges.
“These were guys who committed fraud,” Ballmer told Shelburne. “They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me at this stage. I have no ability to predict why they might have done anything they did, let alone the specific contract with Kawhi.”
As further details were unearthed, the timeline of events became optically damning for the Clippers.
Payments to Leonard were allegedly made within days or weeks of investment infusions from Ballmer. However, optics alone, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, aren’t enough to penalize someone.
“The burden is on the league if we are going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver said when he spoke on Sept. 10 following a Board of Governors meeting. “I think, as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”
Silver would continue.
“I’d say in the case of the league, we and our investigators look at the totality of the evidence,” he said. “I think whether mere appearance, just by the way those words read, I think as a matter of fundamental fairness, I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety.”
On Monday, Silver stated that there was “no contemplation of moving” the upcoming 2026 All-Star Game out of Intuit Dome amidst the ongoing investigation.
On the Clippers’ end, they are aware of how the timeline of events looks from an optical perspective, maintaining their innocence and looking forward to the investigative process playing out, sources tell Russo Writes.
The timing of the allegations and their proximity to the opening of training camp meant that there would at least be a statement of some kind coming relatively soon. While five teams did their media day early due to them having to travel outside of the United States, the Clippers were one of the 25 teams set to host their annual media day on Sept. 29.
Frank, who in years past has done his annual presser about a week before media day, opted to speak with reporters on the day of, shortly before players were made available.
“I’m not naive. I know there are a lot of questions about our organization. I wish I could answer them all. But out of respect to the NBA investigation, I can’t,” Frank said in a prepared statement. “What I can do is answer what I’m able to share. I will say this: We are glad there’s an investigation. And we welcome it. We appreciate that there will be a clear-eyed look at these allegations. We’re eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. We expect the investigation will show that these allegations are wrong.”
Frank has been at the helm of the decision-making process for the Clippers since August 2017, making Frank one of the longest-tenured NBA executives at his position level.
“We do look forward to providing the facts to the league so they can see the entire picture, which I think is critical,” Frank said. “We feel very, very confident we’re on the right side of this, and we’ll just focus on what we can control and trust the investigative process.”
Leonard, like Frank before him, met with media on Sept. 29. Of the 12 questions Leonard was asked during his 7-minute presser, seven of them, at least in some capacity, had to do with the ongoing investigation.
“I don’t read headlines or do conspiracy theories or anything like that,” Leonard said. “The NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no [sic] wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigation. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”
When asked about his understanding of the endorsement deal with Aspiration and if he performed any services for them, Leonard said, “I understand the full contract and the services that I had to do. Like I said, I don’t deal with the conspiracies or the clickbait analysts or journalism that’s going on. That’s what it is.”
Leonard would go on to add some more thoughts on the matter after fielding various questions about the investigation.
“It’s old. This is all new to you guys,” Leonard said. “The company went bankrupt a while ago, so we already knew this was gonna happen.”
Before Leonard talked, Frank was questioned about whether Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, had ever asked for any extra benefits that wouldn’t be allowable under the NBA salary cap.
“Dennis knows the rules, Kawhi knows the rules, [Leonard’s agent] Mitch Frankel knows the rules, and we know the rules,” Frank said.
Frank was then asked if that was a “yes or no”.
“Yes, we all know the rules,” Frank replied.
Frank’s response was directly in line with Ballmer’s during his sit-down interview on ESPN.
“They know the rules. They—meaning Kawhi and his representatives, including his uncle. We know the rules,” Ballmer said. “If anything’s not clear, we remind ourselves what the rules are, and we make absolutely clear we’re gonna abide by those rules, and they understand them, as well. It’s important for them to abide by them, which they have.”
The investigation, which will likely take a while to wrap up, will determine whether or not everyone involved in the allegations did indeed adhere to that.
Should the Clippers fail to be exonerated, the punishment could be severe, including up to a $7.5 million fine, the forfeiture of future draft picks, the voiding of contracts, and/or the suspension of their owner and team executives.
Russo Writes, a Substack publication | Justin Russo | Substack
A substack by Justin Russo, an independent journalist covering the LA Clippers (and other things). Click to read Russo Writes, a Substack publication, by Justin Russo, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
justinrusso.substack.com
Pablo is losing steam. Where's his next article/scandal at?INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The LA Clippers are “eager for the [NBA] investigation” and “confident” in how it will unfold, according to a team source who spoke with Russo Writes.
The investigation, of course, references the ongoing league probe into alleged salary cap circumvention that stems from a partnership between the team, its star player, its owner, and a former team sponsor.
In September, Pablo Torre’s “Pablo Torre Finds Out”podcast brought to light that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had funded at least $50 million to an environmental start-up company, Aspiration. The company would eventually become a team sponsor who also reached an agreement with the team’s star player, Kawhi Leonard, for a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal in 2022.
Allegations of direct salary cap circumvention came to the forefront, something that the Clippers have vehemently denied over the last month since Torre’s bombshell report dropped.
In a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shortly after the story broke, Ballmer said that he was “conned” by Aspiration, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March following the arrest of their co-founder on fraud charges.
“These were guys who committed fraud,” Ballmer told Shelburne. “They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me at this stage. I have no ability to predict why they might have done anything they did, let alone the specific contract with Kawhi.”
As further details were unearthed, the timeline of events became optically damning for the Clippers.
Payments to Leonard were allegedly made within days or weeks of investment infusions from Ballmer. However, optics alone, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, aren’t enough to penalize someone.
“The burden is on the league if we are going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver said when he spoke on Sept. 10 following a Board of Governors meeting. “I think, as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”
Silver would continue.
“I’d say in the case of the league, we and our investigators look at the totality of the evidence,” he said. “I think whether mere appearance, just by the way those words read, I think as a matter of fundamental fairness, I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety.”
On Monday, Silver stated that there was “no contemplation of moving” the upcoming 2026 All-Star Game out of Intuit Dome amidst the ongoing investigation.
On the Clippers’ end, they are aware of how the timeline of events looks from an optical perspective, maintaining their innocence and looking forward to the investigative process playing out, sources tell Russo Writes.
The timing of the allegations and their proximity to the opening of training camp meant that there would at least be a statement of some kind coming relatively soon. While five teams did their media day early due to them having to travel outside of the United States, the Clippers were one of the 25 teams set to host their annual media day on Sept. 29.
Frank, who in years past has done his annual presser about a week before media day, opted to speak with reporters on the day of, shortly before players were made available.
“I’m not naive. I know there are a lot of questions about our organization. I wish I could answer them all. But out of respect to the NBA investigation, I can’t,” Frank said in a prepared statement. “What I can do is answer what I’m able to share. I will say this: We are glad there’s an investigation. And we welcome it. We appreciate that there will be a clear-eyed look at these allegations. We’re eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. We expect the investigation will show that these allegations are wrong.”
Frank has been at the helm of the decision-making process for the Clippers since August 2017, making Frank one of the longest-tenured NBA executives at his position level.
“We do look forward to providing the facts to the league so they can see the entire picture, which I think is critical,” Frank said. “We feel very, very confident we’re on the right side of this, and we’ll just focus on what we can control and trust the investigative process.”
Leonard, like Frank before him, met with media on Sept. 29. Of the 12 questions Leonard was asked during his 7-minute presser, seven of them, at least in some capacity, had to do with the ongoing investigation.
“I don’t read headlines or do conspiracy theories or anything like that,” Leonard said. “The NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no [sic] wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigation. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”
When asked about his understanding of the endorsement deal with Aspiration and if he performed any services for them, Leonard said, “I understand the full contract and the services that I had to do. Like I said, I don’t deal with the conspiracies or the clickbait analysts or journalism that’s going on. That’s what it is.”
Leonard would go on to add some more thoughts on the matter after fielding various questions about the investigation.
“It’s old. This is all new to you guys,” Leonard said. “The company went bankrupt a while ago, so we already knew this was gonna happen.”
Before Leonard talked, Frank was questioned about whether Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, had ever asked for any extra benefits that wouldn’t be allowable under the NBA salary cap.
“Dennis knows the rules, Kawhi knows the rules, [Leonard’s agent] Mitch Frankel knows the rules, and we know the rules,” Frank said.
Frank was then asked if that was a “yes or no”.
“Yes, we all know the rules,” Frank replied.
Frank’s response was directly in line with Ballmer’s during his sit-down interview on ESPN.
“They know the rules. They—meaning Kawhi and his representatives, including his uncle. We know the rules,” Ballmer said. “If anything’s not clear, we remind ourselves what the rules are, and we make absolutely clear we’re gonna abide by those rules, and they understand them, as well. It’s important for them to abide by them, which they have.”
The investigation, which will likely take a while to wrap up, will determine whether or not everyone involved in the allegations did indeed adhere to that.
Should the Clippers fail to be exonerated, the punishment could be severe, including up to a $7.5 million fine, the forfeiture of future draft picks, the voiding of contracts, and/or the suspension of their owner and team executives.
Russo Writes, a Substack publication | Justin Russo | Substack
A substack by Justin Russo, an independent journalist covering the LA Clippers (and other things). Click to read Russo Writes, a Substack publication, by Justin Russo, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
