The scandal involving the Clippers for irregular payments to Kawhi Leonard

Los Angeles Clippers and their owner Steve Ballmer have been involved in a new scandal. According to a report by journalist Pablo Torre, the Los Angeles team allegedly used a financial maneuver to bypass the NBA salary cap, paying Kawhi Leonard $28 million through a sponsorship contract that, in practice, would have been a fictitious job. The investigation stems from internal documents of Aspiration, a company that filed for bankruptcy in March 2025 and is currently under federal investigation for fraud. Torre revealed on his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out that Ballmer invested $50 million in the company in September 2021, and shortly after, the Clippers announced a $300 million sponsorship deal with Aspiration, including presence on the team's jersey and in the new stadium. In April 2022, Leonard signed a sponsorship contract with his own company, KL2 Aspire, for four years and $28 million. The noteworthy detail is that this agreement came just nine months after the forward renewed with the Clippers for $176 million, the maximum amount allowed by the collective bargaining agreement at the time. Among the documents Torre accessed, there was a clause stating that the sponsorship contract would be void if Leonard left the team. Moreover, the player could refuse to fulfill any requested promotional activities and still get paid. A former employee of Aspiration went as far as to claim that the operation was "done to evade the salary cap." The Clippers responded with a firm statement, denying any wrongdoing. "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers have evaded the salary cap or engaged in any improper conduct related to Aspiration," stated the franchise, adding that they severed ties with the company in 2023 when it failed to meet its obligations and only learned of possible frauds after the start of the federal investigation. The NBA, for now, has not commented. **The possible sanctions and Clippers' history** The case, however, is significant. The 2023 CBA regulations establish harsh penalties for those who circumvent salary rules: from fines of up to $7.5 million to losing draft picks, canceling contracts, and even suspending implicated executives. The most famous precedent occurred in 2000 when the Minnesota Timberwolves were punished with the loss of five first-round picks and a hefty fine for a covert agreement with Joe Smith. The Clippers have a history with the league regarding Leonard. In 2019, they were fined twice for inappropriate comments by Doc Rivers about the player and their management in free agency. They also faced a lawsuit in 2020 over alleged irregularities in the forward's signing process, although it was dismissed. More recently, in 2024, the team was sued by former conditioning coach Randy Shelton, who accused the management of retaliation after questioning the handling of Leonard's injuries. Today, at 34 years old, Kawhi remains the face of the franchise, tied to the Clippers until 2027 after signing a $153 million contract in January 2024. However, this new chapter threatens to create a divide between the organization and the NBA. If the accusations prove true, the punishment could be severe, not only affecting the team's image but also the stability of a project built around Leonard and on the verge of opening a multi-million dollar stadium in Inglewood.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El escándalo en el que se han visto involucrados los Clippers por pagos irregulares a Kawhi Leonard