The Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer are under scrutiny after allegations that they circumvented the NBA salary cap with a $28 million “no-show job” endorsement for Kawhi Leonard, per Baxter Holmes/ESPN.
According to documents obtained by Pablo Torre, Leonard signed a four-year deal with the bankrupt company Aspiration, which Ballmer had invested $50 million in through his LLC. A clause tied Leonard’s payments to his presence with the Clippers, raising red flags of potential cap circumvention.
The Clippers denied wrongdoing, calling the claims “absurd,” and stressed that Leonard’s endorsement was independent. The NBA has opened an investigation, with penalties ranging from multi-million-dollar fines to the forfeiture of draft picks and contract voids.
The case recalls the Timberwolves’ infamous Joe Smith scandal in 2000, which cost Minnesota five first-round picks. With Leonard under contract until 2027, the outcome of this probe could have serious implications for both player and franchise.
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