Clippers deny report that Kawhi Leonard payments evaded salary cap
The Clippers forcefully refused the detailed allegations in a podcast published on Wednesday that a discredited global planter company paid in Kawhi Leonard $ 28 million to win the Star attacker’s contract and skirt the NBA salary ceiling. However, the NBA told Times that it will start an investigation.
The investigative journalist Pablo Torre of athletics said during “Pablo discovers” that he had examined numerous documents and conducted interviews with former Partners aspiration employees, the durability services company that recently declared bankruptcy. The co-founder Joseph Sanberg agreed to plead guilty on August 21 to a fraud investors and lenders of more than $ 248 million.
During the suction bankruptcy procedure, documents emerged citing KL2 aspire as a creditor owed $ 7 million, one of the four annual payments of this amount agreed in a contract in 2022. KL2 is a limited liability company which names Leonard – whose jersey number is 2 – as manager.
The aspiration was partially funded by an investment of $ 50 million from the owner of the Clippers, Steve Ballmer. It is not known if Ballmer was aware or played a role in facilitating the work agreement between aspiration and Leonard.
Torre revealed during the podcast that he had not found proof of any marketing or approval work carried out by Leonard for aspiration. The only connection he found between the player and the company came to a tweet in 2023 by the clippers who said: “Happy birthday, Kawhi! For each comment / retweet, @aspiration will plant a tree for Kawhi’s birthday! ”
The NBA declared in a statement to the Times that “we are aware of the media report this morning concerning the Clippers and start an investigation”. However, the clippers told Times that they could prove that the allegations of Torre are false.
“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers bypassed the salary ceiling or engaged in a foul related to the aspiration,” said the clippers press release. “Any contrary assertion is proven to be false: the team ended its relationship with the aspiration years ago, during the 2022-23 season, when the aspiration was lacking on its obligations.
“Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer were aware of an activity inappropriate by aspiration or his co-founder until the government has instituted its investigation. The team and Mr. Ballmer are ready to help the police in any way possible. ”
A former employee of the aspirations finance department whose voice was modulated on the Torre podcast said that when they noticed the shocking costs paid in Leonard, they were told: “If I had questions on this subject, was not essentially because it was to bypass the salary ceiling, lol. There were a lot of lol when things were shared. ”
The other celebrities paid to approve the aspiration and its operation of trees of trees included Robert Downey Jr., Leonardo DiCaprio and Drake. The employee of the Finance Department said that none of them had received nothing close to the payment given in Leonard.
“Each other approval of combined celebrities would not have encountered a quarter of Kawhi Leonard approval,” said the employee.
Leonard joined the Clippers in July 2019 on a $ 103 million contract over three years after carrying out the Raptors of Toronto in the NBA title. He reappeared for four years and 176.3 million dollars in 2021, then signed an extension of $ 153 million over three years last year.
When the Clippers landed Leonard in 2019, the NBA was amazed: in a few hours, the Clippers had exchanged for Paul George and signed Leonard, surpassing Lakers and other contenders.
Suspicions were raised that Ballmer had somehow bypassed the salary ceiling and compensated Leonard with more than the Max NBA contract. However, the NBA investigated Leonard’s advisor, Dennis Robertson – also known as Uncle Dennis – and determined that the mowers had not granted unacceptable benefits Leonard.
The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, is categorically opposed to a team making an end of the end of salary with creative payments under the table to the players, perhaps contributing to the rapid recognition that the accusations concerning Leonard have triggered an investigation by the League.
Under the terms of the collective NBA Bergting contract, the Clippers could be sentenced to a fine of up to $ 4.5 million and stripped of a choice of draft in the first round for a first offense if they had bypass the salary ceiling.
Six years later, the agreement for George and Leonard’s signature are considered in a different light because the clippers have never progressed to the NBA final and this season, the team looked at the assets they went to acquire George – including the Shai Gilgeous -Alexander MVP – Lift Oklahoma City Thunder.
