"The report claims there is no evidence to show that Leonard did anything for Aspiration Partners, whose initial funding came in large part from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Torre alleges that the payment to Leonard was a way to skirt the NBA salary cap and pad his contract. The Clippers have forcefully denied that they or Ballmer "circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration." Still, the NBA said it was launching an investigation into the matter."
"The purpose of the cap is to ensure parity, preventing the wealthiest teams from outspending smaller markets to acquire the best players. Teams that exceed the cap must pay luxury tax penalties that grow increasingly severe. Revenues from the tax penalties are then distributed in part to smaller-market teams and in part to teams that do not exceed the salary cap."
Bankruptcy documents show Aspiration Partners paid Kawhi Leonard $21 million and still owes him $7 million under a $28 million endorsement and marketing contract. There is no documented evidence that Leonard performed work for Aspiration Partners, whose initial funding came largely from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. The payment has been characterized as a potential method to skirt the NBA salary cap and augment Leonard's compensation. The Clippers have denied any salary-cap circumvention or misconduct. The NBA has launched an investigation. The salary cap limits team payroll, was $140.6 million in 2024-25, and rose sharply after a 2016 media-rights influx.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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