Clippers Accused of Salary Cap Circumvention

The United States — Los Angeles and owner Steve Ballmer are accused of circumventing the National Basketball Association salary cap by allegedly paying star player Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a 'no-show job.' According to a report by Pablo Torre, Steve Ballmer funded Aspiration, a now-bankrupt tree-planting company, which then entered a $28 million agreement with KL2 Aspire, LLC, a company owned by Kawhi Leonard. The report suggests that Kawhi Leonard was paid without being required to perform any marketing or endorsement duties for Aspiration, with a clause allowing him to decline any action desired by the company and payment contingent on his continued membership with the United States — Los Angeles. An unnamed former Aspiration employee claimed the arrangement was explicitly designed to 'circumvent the salary cap.' The National Basketball Association has commenced an investigation into these allegations. The United States — Los Angeles and Steve Ballmer have denied any misconduct, stating that any contrary assertion is 'provably false.' This event follows a 2019 National Basketball Association investigation into Kawhi Leonard's advisor, Dennis Robertson, for impermissible benefits, which found no evidence at the time.