The Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard find themselves facing serious allegations that could shake the franchise to its core. A shocking accusation about circumventing NBA salary cap rules exploded across social media on Wednesday, potentially putting one of the league’s most valuable stars and his team in hot water.
Kawhi Leonard Was Allegedly Paid $28M For ‘No-Show’ Job By Clippers to Circumvent NBA Cap
Leonard was one of the most sought-after free agents when he signed his three-year, $103 million deal with the Clippers before the 2019-20 season. But according to a bombshell report by Pablo Torre, that contract might not tell the whole story.
Torre’s investigation claims the Clippers allegedly found a creative way around league rules by paying Leonard an additional $28 million through what he calls a “no-show job.” In the latest episode of his ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out‘ podcast, he exposed a connection between Leonard and a company owned by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
The arrangement allegedly involved Aspiration, a tree-planting service owned by Ballmer, which entered into a $28 million legal agreement with KL2 Aspire LLC, Leonard’s company. The terms raise eyebrows throughout the basketball world.
Torre outlined several suspicious clauses in the contract, including one that allowed the six-time NBA All-Star to “decline to proceed with any action with the company.” Even more telling, another clause reportedly stipulated that Leonard could only receive payments while he remained a Clippers player.
According to a Yahoo! Sports report, payments from Aspiration to KL2 Aspire LLC reportedly went directly to Leonard’s advisor and uncle, Dennis Robertson. This connection adds another layer to the controversy.
Robertson already had a complicated history with NBA investigations. In 2019, the league investigated him for reportedly making illegal requests to teams interested in Leonard, though that investigation produced no concrete results. Now, he finds himself back in the spotlight as a key figure in this salary cap scandal.
Torre’s investigation included interviews with former Aspiration employees, one of whom spoke anonymously using a voice modifier. That source directly claimed the agreement between the two companies was designed specifically to circumvent the league’s salary cap rules.
The Clippers wasted no time firing back at Torre’s explosive claims. The organization issued a strong denial, stating: “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”
It’s worth noting that the NBA takes these kinds of accusations very seriously. In 2000, the NBA found that the Minnesota Timberwolves circumvented the salary cap to sign Joe Smith in free agency. The NBA punished the Wolves by forcing them to void Smith’s contract, lose five first-round picks, and pay a $3.5 million fine.
While the NBA have announced that they are launching an investigation, Dallas Mavericks’ minority owner Mark Cuban has pledged his allegiance to Ballmer. He claims that there is a strong chance that the Clippers’ owner has been scammed, which is a point that is only alleged and remains to be confirmed now. The NBA’s investigation will determine the outcome of this controversy, and how it affects Ballmer and Clippers’ future in the league.
Leonard is preparing for his sixth season with the franchise, though questions about his health continue to swirl. The 34-year-old forward battled through another injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign, appearing in just 37 games while averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Despite Leonard’s talent, the Clippers remain without the championship that justified his massive investment. He led them to the Western Conference Finals once, but the team has stumbled to first-round playoff exits in each of their last three seasons. Now, as they chase that elusive Larry O’Brien Trophy, they must also navigate the potential fallout from these salary cap allegations.
