NBA Investigates Kawhi Leonard No-Show Scandal Behind $28M Secret Deal

The NBA has initiated an inquiry into claims that the Los Angeles Clippers and their owner, Steve Ballmer, attempted to circumvent salary-cap regulations by arranging a $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal for All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard.The investigation follows disclosures from journalist Pablo Torre’s podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” which indicated that Leonard entered a four-year, $28 million contract with Aspiration, an environmental firm now in bankruptcy and partly financed by Ballmer. Allegedly, this agreement, established through Leonard's company, KL2 Aspire LLC, paid him without requiring promotional commitments, provided he remained with the Clippers, as reported by Yahoo Sports.An unnamed former employee of Aspiration suggested that the arrangement aimed to bypass the salary cap. Documents mentioned in the report indicate that Aspiration has disbursed $21 million to Leonard but still owes him $7 million.The situation intensified upon learning that Ballmer had invested $50 million in Aspiration in September 2021, shortly before the Clippers’ $300 million sponsorship with the firm and Leonard's endorsement deal were finalized.The Clippers vehemently refuted any wrongdoing, asserting, “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in misconduct regarding Aspiration. Any contrary claim is provably false; the team ceased its relationship with Aspiration during...

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