So, apparently, Kawhi Leonard might have pulled off the ultimate load management scheme, off the court. According to a bombshell report from Yahoo Sports, the Los Angeles Clippers and California billionaire owner Steve Ballmer are accused of paying Leonard a cool $28 million for what’s being described as a “no-show job.” Yes, you read that right. Twenty-eight million dollars. For doing absolutely nothing.
Here’s how it breaks down. The money trail goes back to a now-bankrupt tree-planting service called Aspiration, which was funded by Ballmer himself. Aspiration entered into a $28 million legal agreement with KL2 Aspire, LLC, a company owned by Leonard. In theory, Leonard was supposed to provide marketing or endorsements for Aspiration. In reality? Torre said he found no evidence whatsoever that Leonard lifted a finger for the company.
And if the paperwork is to be believed, Leonard didn’t even have to. One clause in the contract explicitly stated Leonard could “decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company.” Translation: Kawhi could cash the checks without ever leaving his couch. Another kicker? Leonard would only get paid if he stayed with the Clippers. That little detail is what has people screaming, NBA salary cap violation.
Kawhi Leonard Has Found Himself in a World of Trouble
The situation got even more eyebrow-raising when it was revealed that all correspondence from Aspiration to Leonard’s company went straight to Dennis Robertson, better known as Uncle Dennis. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was investigated by the NBA back in 2019 for allegedly asking for impermissible benefits while Kawhi was being courted in free agency. At the time, the league found nothing on the Clippers, but Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly called it “a cardinal sin of the NBA” and warned that the case could be reopened if more evidence came to light.
Well, guess what? Torre just dropped a four-and-a-half-minute video that might have provided exactly that. One former Aspiration employee, who agreed to talk with his voice disguised, claimed they were told flat-out that the agreement was designed to “circumvent the salary cap.” That’s about as damning as it gets, but the Clippers aren’t letting this one slide. The team quickly fired back at the report with a sharp statement:
“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”
That’s as strong of a denial as you’ll ever see, but it doesn’t mean the NBA won’t sniff around again. So far, the league hasn’t issued an official statement on the situation, but the chatter is only growing louder.
Kawhi Leonard Is Staying in California
To put this into perspective, Leonard signed a three-year, $104 million deal with the Clippers in 2019, then inked a four-year, $176 million extension in 2021, and followed that up with a three-year, $149 million extension in 2024. Those numbers alone make him one of the highest-paid players in the league. If the Aspiration deal was indeed a way to tack on an extra $28 million without it counting against the salary cap, that’s the type of thing that could send shockwaves through the NBA.
Let’s be real: this isn’t just about Kawhi, Ballmer, or even the Clippers. This is about the integrity of the league’s salary cap system. If one team can sneak around it with side deals, what’s to stop others from doing the same? Imagine LeBron getting “paid” by a random energy drink company tied to the Lakers’ ownership group, or Steph Curry suddenly banking millions from a Silicon Valley startup that happens to have ties to the Warriors. You’d have chaos.
For now, Leonard hasn’t said a word about the allegations, which fits his famously quiet and private persona. But with Torre’s reporting making the rounds and fans dissecting every detail, the NBA might have no choice but to reopen the books on Uncle Dennis, Aspiration, and that mysterious $28 million. One thing’s for sure: load management jokes about Kawhi Leonard just hit a whole new level. This time, the game he’s accused of sitting out wasn’t on a California hardwood; it was on the balance sheets.
