Allegations claim Clippers owner Steve Ballmer secretly funded a fraudulent tree-planting company to pay Leonard outside the salary cap. The team denies any wrongdoing.
These allegations could shake the NBA to its core. Journalist Pablo Torre (Pablo Torre Finds Out) states that star forward Kawhi Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with a now-defunct tree-planting company called Aspiration, which Clippers owner Steve Ballmer secretly funded.
Sources allege the deal is structured as $7 million per year over four years. This was a “no-show job” endorsement that Leonard never actively promoted.
Alleged Salary Cap Workaround
An anonymous former Aspiration employee told Torre that the arrangement was designed to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap, effectively providing Leonard additional compensation off the books.
Court filings from Aspiration’s bankruptcy reportedly show Leonard’s shell company, KL2 Aspire LLC, listed as a creditor. Adding to the suspicion. There’s a clause that states the deal ends if Leornard decides to leave the Clippers—tying the endorsement directly to his team affiliation.
Clippers’ Denial
The Clippers quickly issued a statement dismissing the allegations:
“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”
The NBA has not publicly commented.
Potential Fallout
If the allegations are proven to be true, the Clippers could face serious consequences. In the past, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 1999 illegal deal with Joe Smith—teams were fined millions and stripped of multiple first-round draft picks.
For Ballmer’s Clippers, punishment could include:
- Multi-million dollar fines
- Loss of draft picks
- Suspensions or voided contracts
This would be a devastating blow for a franchise already under pressure to compete in a crowded Western Conference.