The Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer are facing allegations of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap rules by paying All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a so-called ‘no-show job.’ According to sports reporter Pablo Torre, the payment was structured through a now-bank, a tree-planting company, Aspiration, which entered a $28 million legal agreement with Leonard’s KL2 Aspire, LLC. The arrangement reportedly allowed Leonard to receive the payment without performing any actual work, with a clause enabling him to ‘decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company.’
Leonard’s advisor, Dennis Robertson, who has a history of NBA investigations, facilitated the dealings, raising questions about the legitimacy of the arrangement. The Clippers and Ballmer have denied the allegations, insisting the claims are ‘provably false’ and that no misconduct occurred. The NBA has also stated it is launching an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, the allegations have sparked debate about the league’s salary cap enforcement and the potential for creative financial maneuvers to circumvent it. The case highlights the ongoing scrutiny of player contracts and the challenges of balancing financial incentives with regulatory compliance.