Clippers in hot water — Ballmer allegedly paid Kawhi Leonard $28 million off-books in salary to skirt NBA cap

The Los Angeles Clippers and their owner, Steve Ballmer, are facing serious accusations involving star forward Kawhi Leonard. A new report says that Leonard got $28 million from a side deal with a Ballmer-funded company. This raises questions about whether the deal broke NBA salary cap rules.

Pablo Torre reported that the Los Angeles Clippers and their owner, Steve Ballmer, are accused of paying star Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a "no-show job" in order to get around the NBA salary cap.

Pablo Torre brought the claims to light by using legal documents and information from people who knew what was going on. Steve Ballmer is alleged to have violated NBA regulations by using the arrangement to pay Leonard more than his contract.


On his Wednesday show, "Pablo Torre Finds Out," Torre detailed the purported scandal. The show, which includes numerous direct quotes from court records, argued that Leonard received $28 million for doing nothing at all through a business owned by Ballmer.

How did they say Kawhi Leonard was paid off the books?

The argument is about Aspiration, a now-defunct tree-planting business that Steve Ballmer paid for and then went out of business. Legal documents show that the company signed a $28 million deal with KL2 Aspire, LLC, a business that Leonard owns, as per a report.

The deal had terms that let Leonard turn down promotional work and still get paid, but only if he stayed with the Clippers, as quoted in a report.




Payments were said to have gone to Dennis Robertson, Leonard's long-time advisor who goes by the name "Uncle Dennis." Robertson was looked into by the NBA in 2019 for allegedly asking for unfair benefits, but the league found him not guilty at the time.

Was Kawhi Leonard really an employee of the company?

Pablo Torre, who talked about the case on his show Pablo Torre Finds Out, said he couldn't find any proof that Leonard ever supported or promoted Aspiration.

Aspiration and KL2 Aspire LLC's contract documents contained a clause that allowed Leonard to "decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company," effectively allowing Leonard to receive payment without taking any action, as per a report.

A former employee, who spoke anonymously and had their voice changed, said they were told the arrangement was only there to "circumvent the salary cap."

The report called the $28 million contract a "no-show job," saying that Leonard's job was never made public.

What have the Clippers said in reply?

The Clippers strongly denied the claims, sending Torre a message that said, "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 NBA hasn't said anything about the new claims, but commissioner Adam Silver has called these kinds of violations a "cardinal sin" in the past. Sources in the league say that the investigation could be reopened if new evidence comes to light.

FAQs

How much did Kawhi Leonard supposedly get paid in the side deal?
$28 million through a company called Aspiration that Ballmer backs.

What has the NBA said about the new claims?
The league hasn't said anything yet, though.