Spanish
Los Angeles. – The NBA opened a formal investigation against the Los Angeles Clippers and their owner, Steve Ballmer, following a report linking them to an alleged scheme to circumvent the salary cap through payments to their star Kawhi Leonard.
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According to journalist Pablo Torre, the Clippers allegedly channeled $28 million to Leonard through a sponsorship deal signed in 2022 with the company Aspiration, a firm now in bankruptcy and under federal investigation for fraud. The company was partially funded by Ballmer with a personal investment of $50 million in 2021. The sponsorship contract with Leonard, managed by his company KL2 Aspire, included a clause that invalidated it if the player left the Clippers. According to a former Aspiration employee cited in the report, the agreement sought to circumvent the league's salary cap. The NBA, through its spokesman Mike Bass, confirmed that it is aware of the accusations and that “has begun an investigation” to clarify the facts. For their part, the Clippers flatly denied any wrongdoing. “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers organization have engaged in any misconduct. The relationship with Aspiration ended in 2023 when the company failed to meet its obligations. The notion that money was funneled to Kawhi is absurd”, the team stated in a statement. If a violation of the salary cap rules established in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement is verified, the NBA could impose severe sanctions, including fines of up to $7.5 million, loss of draft picks, suspension of executives, and the annulment of player contracts.This isn't the Clippers' first run-in with the league regarding Leonard. In 2019, the franchise was fined for improper comments by their then-coach Doc Rivers during the forward's free agency, and in 2020 the organization faced —though without sanctions— a lawsuit related to alleged irregularities in his signing.
Leonard, 34, signed in 2024 an extension for three years and 153 million dollars, which keeps him under contract until the 2026-27 season. The current investigation comes as the franchise prepares to inaugurate its new arena and faces one of the most decisive moments in its sporting project.
