Report: Clippers skirted NBA salary cap with Kawhi Leonard payment

The LA Clippers reportedly have been accused of circumventing the NBA's salary cap by paying $28 million to Kawhi Leonard for a "no-show job."

Pablo Torre, a podcaster and former ESPN contributor, reported Wednesday that the Clippers paid Leonard through a now-bankrupt company owned by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Citing legal documents purportedly involving the tree-planting service Aspiration, Torre reported that Ballmer paid Leonard without requiring the Clippers star to do any marketing or endorsements for the company.

An unnamed employee who purportedly worked for Aspiration told Torre that the payment to Leonard "was to circumvent the salary cap."

The Clippers responded to the allegations with a statement to Torre, saying: "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false."

ESPN has reached out to both the Clippers and the NBA for comment.

Leonard, 34, signed a three-year, $153 million deal in January 2024 to remain under contract with the Clippers through the 2026-27 season.