An old Los Angeles Clippers tweet has resurfaced and gone viral following Pablo Torre's report that Kawhi Leonard and owner Steve Ballmer reportedly circumvented the NBA's salary cap.
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Here's the tweet that the Clippers' social media account posted over two years ago.
Pablo Torre, a sportswriter, podcast and television host, was the first to report on the bombshell story.
According to Torre's report, the Clippers are accused of paying Leonard $28 million for a "no-show" job, allegedly as a way to circumvent the NBA salary cap. The report says that Leonard was paid $28 million through a company owned by Ballmer.
The company is called Aspiration, which is why the old tweet has resurfaced.
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What is Aspiration?
The now-bankrupt company - once owned by Ballmer - was a tree-planting service the Clippers owner helped fund. The company entered into a $28 million legal agreement with KL2 Aspire LLC, which is owned by Leonard.
In April 2022, the six-time All-Star signed an endorsement deal with Aspiration, just nine months after agreeing to a four-year, $176 million contract with the Clippers to stay in L.A.
An anonymous former Aspiration employee told Torre that the payment to Leonard was essentially a way to work around the salary cap. The Clippers declined those claims.
"Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary-cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration," the Clippers said, per ESPN. "Any contrary assertion is provably false: The team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago, during the 2022-23 season, when Aspiration defaulted on its obligations. Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government instituted its investigation. The team and Mr. Ballmer stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way they can."
What Does This Mean for Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers?
The NBA has not yet responded to the report by Torre. However, if proved accurate, it could mean a couple of things for the Clippers and Leonard.
Under the circumstances, rules from the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulate that teams can be punished for circumventing the salary cap
Penalties can range from the loss of draft picks to voiding player contracts, along with potential suspensions of up to a year for any team personnel found guilty of such actions, plus fines that can reach as high as $7.5 million.
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