The NBA Is Investgating The Los Angeles Clippers For Defrauding The Salary Cap

 It looks like the Los Angeles Clippers tried to pull a fast one on the NBA. In a shocking revelation, the Los Angeles Clippers and their star forward, Kawhi Leonard, are being accused of a $28 million scandal. Allegations suggest that the Clippers, under the ownership of Steve Ballmer, orchestrated a "no-show job" deal to circumvent the NBA's salary cap rules, paying Leonard millions through a now-bankrupt company called Aspiration.

Let's break it down.

Kawhi Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with the company Aspiration in April 2022. The deal was structured as four annual payments of $7 million. However, unlike other celebrity endorsers who would be actively promoting Aspiration, Leonard reportedly did no promotional work for the company, leading to the term "no-show job."

The deal was allegedly designed to funnel extra compensation to Leonard without counting against the NBA’s salary cap, a serious violation of league rules. A former Aspiration employee, speaking anonymously on Torre’s podcast, claimed the arrangement was explicitly to "circumvent the salary cap." Legal documents revealed a clause allowing Leonard to "decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company" while still receiving payments. Additionally, the contract stipulated that payments would cease if Leonard was no longer a Clipper, tying the deal directly to his team affiliation.

I can see the NBA giving the Los Angeles Clippers a fine upwards of $4 million and forfeiture of a first-round draft pick. The NBA is currently conducting an investigation into this matter.