La Clippers’ Steve Ballmer Denies Kawhi Leonard Salary-cap Circumvention Scheme

Los Angeles Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer claimed he had nary knowledge of nan woody betwixt Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration and would “want nan convention to investigate” if different squad were accused of circumventing nan NBA’s net cap.

“I’d want nan convention to investigate, return it seriously,” Ballmer told ESPN connected Thursday successful his first question and reply since nan communicative collapsed pursuing an extended study by podcaster Pablo Torre.

The Clippers are being accused of trying to get astir NBA net headdress rules by feeding $28m to Leonard successful nan shape of a “no-show” endorsement woody pinch nan now-bankrupt institution partially funded by Ballmer.

Aspiration has faced accusations of fraud and 1 of its co-founders, Joseph Sanberg, agreed to plead blameworthy successful August to defrauding aggregate investors.

“We are alert of this morning’s media study regarding nan LA Clippers and are commencing an investigation,” nan NBA said successful a connection to ESPN.

Ballmer told ESPN that Aspiration asked him to present nan woody to Leonard but denied he had knowledge of nan endorsement statement nan sides yet signed.

Per Ballmer, nan preamble came successful November 2021 – 3 months aft Leonard agreed to a four-year, $173m hold pinch Leonard. In September 2021, nan Clippers announced a $300m business pinch Aspiration.

“We moreover recovered nan email that makes nan first introduction. It was early November,” Ballmer said. “The preamble sewage made and past they were disconnected to nan races on, connected their own. We weren’t involved.

“I yet learned that they had reached a deal. I person nary thought what nan woody was.“

Ballmer besides expressed nary knowledge of nan magnitude of nan deal.

“I don’t cognize why they did what they did, and I don’t cognize really different it is [compared pinch different endorsement deals],” he said.

“These were guys who committed fraud. Look, they conned me. They conned me. I made an finance successful these guys reasoning it was connected nan up-and-up, and they conned maine astatine this stage. I person nary expertise to foretell why they mightiness person done thing they did, fto unsocial nan circumstantial statement pinch Kawhi.“

Leonard, 34, won nan NBA finals MVP grant some times he earned NBA title titles [2014 pinch nan San Antonio Spurs, 2019 pinch nan Toronto Raptors]. He besides has 2 NBA Defensive Player of nan Year awards to his name.

He missed nan 2021-22 run pursuing knee room and has been constricted successful each of nan past 3 seasons owed to ongoing knee issues. He averaged 21.5 points and 5.9 rebounds successful conscionable 37 games past season.

In 13 seasons pinch nan Spurs, Raptors and Clippers, nan six-time All-Star has averaged 20.1 points and 6.4 rebounds successful 733 games.