Clippers Bypassed Salary Cap With Kawhi Leonard Payment: Report
By Jason Hall
September 3, 2025
The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly accused of bypassing the NBA's salary cap by paying All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a "no-show job," Pablo Torre reported on his Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast released on Wednesday (September 3).
An anonymous former employee of the financial department for the bankrupt company Aspiration, which was financially backed by Clippers owner Steve Balmer, told Torre that employees were told not to ask questions about Leonard's deal, which was intended to "circumvent the salary cap," with Balmer paying Leonard for work purportedly for Aspiration without actually doing any marketing or endorsements for the company. The Clippers publicly issued a statement denying the allegations made by Torre on Wednesday.
Exclusive: Kawhi Leonard signed a $28M endorsement deal for a "no-show job" with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50M from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, according to documents obtained by @PabloTorre.
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025
"It was to circumvent the salary cap," an inside source says. pic.twitter.com/F6z5pNEkI1
"Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false," the statement reads via ESPN.
Leonard, 34, signed a three-year, $153 million deal with the Clippers in January 2024, which will run through the 2026-27 season. The two-time former NBA champion was limited to just 37 games due to a right knee injury, averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Torre, a former ESPN reporter, had previously given deep dives into several topics on his podcast, which included legendary former NFL turned University of North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick's relationship with Jordon Hudson earlier this year.