NBA Investigates Kawhi Leonard's Alleged $28 Million "No-Show" Deal with Clippers-Linked Company

The NBA has launched a formal investigation into Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and the franchise regarding an alleged $28 million "no-show job" endorsement deal. Reports claim Leonard received the sum from Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental startup, as a means to circumvent the NBA's salary cap. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had reportedly invested $50 million in Aspiration in 2021, prior to Leonard's endorsement agreement. The Clippers vehemently deny any misconduct, asserting that neither Ballmer nor the team circumvented the salary cap and that their relationship with Aspiration ended due to default. Mark Cuban publicly defended Ballmer, dismissing the accusations as "absurd." This probe follows a government investigation into Aspiration, whose co-founder recently pleaded guilty to fraud, with Leonard's LLC listed among the company's largest creditors.