The Los Angeles Clippers are at the center of what might be the most shocking NBA scandal in years.
On Wednesday, reporting from Pablo Torre stated that Kawhi Leonard was paid $7 million a year from a now-defunct company for an endorsement deal.
That deal, according to Torre, was simply a way for the Clippers to circumvent the league’s current salary cap rules.
The Clippers have now fired back at those claims, releasing an official statement in which they deny all wrongdoing.
“Neither the Clippers nor Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap. The notion that Steve invested in Aspiration in order to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd,” the statement began, before adding that they welcome an investigation by the NBA.
Clippers statement: pic.twitter.com/2nZR75JCTo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 4, 2025
Despite the harshly worded statement, this will not be the end of this controversy.
In fact, it is only heating up.
The league is now looking into the serious allegations, and if they find that Ballmer, Leonard, and the Clippers really did conspire to get around their rules, there will be consequences.
It’s not clear how they would be punished, but the Clippers could lose money, draft picks, or even face suspensions.
The entire situation is complicated, and some fans are supporting the Clippers while others are calling them out.
There is no timetable for the league’s investigation, and it seems like it could be ongoing when the new season kicks off next month.
Until then, a dark cloud will hang over this team, and everyone will wonder what will happen next.
This time of year is usually quite slow for NBA fans, but the Clippers-Leonard scandal is giving people plenty to talk about.
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