The Los Angeles Clippers are pushing back against claims that star forward Kawhi Leonard was secretly paid $28 million for a fake job.
The allegations surfaced on Wednesday in journalist Pablo Torre’s podcast. Citing legal documents, Torre said Clippers owner Steve Ballmer used one of his companies to funnel money to Leonard in a way that may have violated NBA salary cap rules.
According to Torre, Ballmer invested in a now-defunct tree-planting company called Aspiration. That company allegedly struck a $28 million agreement with KL2 Aspire, LLC, which is owned by Leonard. The contract reportedly included a clause that allowed Leonard to be paid even if he never did any work. Torre said he found no evidence Leonard ever promoted or endorsed the company, and one former employee told him the deal looked like a way to “circumvent the salary cap.”
The Clippers and Ballmer strongly denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Torre: “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 has not yet commented on Torre’s reporting. The league previously investigated Leonard’s advisor Dennis Robertson in 2019, but cleared the Clippers of giving the player improper benefits when they signed him that summer after his championship run with the Toronto Raptors. The NBA has said it would reopen the case if new evidence came to light.
If the league determines the Clippers tried to skirt the salary cap, the penalties could be steep. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the team could face a $4.5 million fine for a first offense and lose a first-round draft pick.
Torre reported that his seven-month investigation also uncovered more red flags. Despite the $28 million payout, Leonard never made a public appearance for Aspiration, which promised to plant trees and sell carbon credits. The contract also allowed the company to cancel the deal if Leonard ever left the Clippers, raising further suspicion.
Adding to the intrigue, Ballmer personally invested $50 million in Aspiration, which later partnered with the Clippers in 2021 to promote the Intuit Dome as “the most sustainable arena in the world.”
The NBA has dealt with salary cap scandals before. In 1999, the Minnesota Timberwolves were punished for making an under-the-table agreement with Joe Smith, costing them three first-round draft picks. The Clippers could face similar consequences if the allegations prove true.
Leonard, a six-time All-Star, signed with the Clippers in 2019 in a move that shocked the league. He extended his contract in 2024, and some critics have questioned why he’s remained with the team despite their struggles. Torre’s reporting suggests the answer may lie off the court.
