Shams Charania Drops Latest Update on NBA Investigation of Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers

The NBA’s investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard has entered a crucial phase, with Shams Charania revealing that the league is actively interviewing key figures on both sides. At the heart of the probe is a search for potential salary cap circumvention: an accusation that, if proven, could trigger some of the league’s harshest penalties.

The controversy centers on a $28 million endorsement deal tied to a failed tree-planting company, Aspiration, funded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Ballmer and the Clippers have denied wrongdoing, calling the arrangement standard and unrelated to team finances. Yet the NBA is now digging deeper, and the implications could be severe.

“The NBA told me that their investigation is underway, and it will most certainly include interviews with key subjects as part of both the Clipper side [and] Kawhi Leonard himself,” Charania said. “At the heart of it is going to be searching for concrete proof, a potential paper trail to show whether there was cap circumvention done.” He referenced the fallout from the 1999 Joe Smith case, where the Timberwolves faced heavy penalties for similar violations.

Charania is responding to podcaster Pablo Torre’s reporting, which shed light on the mechanics of the deal: documents reveal that from 2022 to 2026, Leonard was to receive $7 million annually, totaling $28 million, through his LLC, KL2 Aspire, with no promotional obligations required. This payment structure paralleled his contract extension timeline. A former Aspiration finance employee even stated, “It was to circumvent the salary cap,” indicating the payments may have been contingent solely on Leonard remaining a Clipper, and not on any marketing work.

(Developing story …)

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