Clippers Deny Claims Star Forward Kawhi Leonard Was Paid $28m For Job That Didn’t Exist

The Los Angeles Clippers and their owner, Steve Ballmer, person denied allegations nan team’s prima forward, Kawhi Leonard, was paid $28m for a occupation that doesn’t exist.

Journalist Pablo Torre laid retired nan allegations in his podcast connected Wednesday. Torre, citing ineligible documents, claims Ballmer employed Leonard for a non-existent domiciled successful 1 of his companies to circumvent nan NBA net cap, which punishes teams for spending excessively overmuch connected subordinate salaries.

Torre claims that Ballmer funded a now defunct tree-planting institution called Aspiration. That institution past allegedly entered into a $28m statement pinch KL2 Aspire, LLC, a institution owned by Leonard.

Torre says he could find nary grounds that Leonard had ever performed immoderate activity for Aspiration, and location was a clause successful nan statement betwixt KL2 Aspire and Aspiration efficaciously allowed Leonard to beryllium paid moreover if he did nary work. One erstwhile worker of Aspiration told Torre he had heard nan woody pinch Leonard had been group up to “circumvent nan net cap.”

The Clippers and Ballmer denied nan allegations successful a connection released to Torre. “Neither Mr Ballmer nor nan Clippers circumvented nan net headdress aliases engaged successful immoderate misconduct related to Aspiration,” nan connection said. “Any contrary assertion is provably false.”

The NBA investigated Leonard’s advisor, Dennis Robertson, successful 2019 and recovered nan Clippers had not granted nan subordinate immoderate impermissible benefits erstwhile they pursued him successful free agency. Leonard, a six-time All-Star, joined nan Clippers successful July 2019 aft starring nan Toronto Raptors to nan NBA title.

The NBA is yet to remark connected Torre’s story, but has said successful nan past it would reopen nan investigation into Robertson if caller grounds emerged.

Under nan position of nan NBA corporate bargaining agreement, nan Clippers could beryllium fined up to $4.5m for a first discourtesy if they attempted to circumvent nan net cap. They could besides beryllium docked a first-round draught pick.