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The Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer are being accused of giving All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a “no-show job” to circumvent the league’s salary cap.
Sports reporter Pablo Torre detailed his accusations on the latest edition of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” which had direct legal document quotes throughout. Torre says that Leonard was paid the $28 million through Apsiration, a tree-planting service that is now bankrupt.
Aspiration entered a $28 million legal agreement with Leonard’s KL2 Aspire, LLC. Torre is accusing Ballmer of paying Leonard more than his current contract, which would go against NBA rules.
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)
A clause within the legal agreement between the two companies said Leonard had the ability to “decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company,” which would basically have him paid without needing to do anything.
Torre never found evidence that Leonard marketed or endorsed the company.
Even more telling was Torre finding a clause that stated Leonard would only be paid the $28 million if he remained a member of the Clippers.
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Torre said he spoke with former Aspiration employees about the contract, and one of them agreed to be interviewed with a voice modifier. The employee claimed the agreement between Aspiration and Leonard was done to “circumvent the salary cap.”
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers shoots a free throw during the game During round one game one of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 16, 2023, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false,” the Clippers said in a statement to Torre.
Contact from Aspiration to KL2 Aspire LLC was also done through Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s advisor who has a history of NBA investigations. Robertson was investigated in 2019 for asking for impermissible benefits, though the league found “Uncle Dennis” not guilty of the Clippers granting illegal benefits to his client while they pursued him in free agency.
“We are aware of this morning’s media report regarding the LA Clippers and are commencing an investigation,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told ESPN.
Fox News Digital reached out to a Leonard rep for comment.
Leonard was a highly sought-after free agent that year, and there were some surprised that he chose the Clippers on a three-year, $104 million deal.
The Clippers would extend Leonard in 2021 with a four-year, $176 million deal, and they continued to keep him in place in 2024, issuing a three-year, $149 million extension.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is being accused of trying to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap with a $28 million payment to Kawhi Leonard. (IMAGN)
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The 33-year-old two-time NBA champion played just 37 games last season for Los Angeles, as he dealt with right knee inflammation that flared up while participating in the United States national team camp before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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