The Los Angeles Clippers are currently trying to prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season while simultaneously dealing with the ongoing investigation by the NBA into team owner Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard and their alleged circumvention of the league salary cap via a no-show deal. The supposed deal, initially reported by Pablo Torre, was between Leonard and the since-bankrupt company Aspiration.
Recently, a new article from the Wall Street Journal was published, and some light was shed on the mindset of Aspiration employees when the deal was first announced.
“‘Makes no business sense whatsoever,' a senior Aspiration executive texted Mike Shuckerow, the company’s general counsel and chief operating officer, after learning of the proposed deal with Leonard,'” reported the article, via Hoopshype.
It was also reveaeld that “inside the company, jaws dropped at the terms, with one executive telling a colleague that Aspiration could purchase seven Super Bowl ads for the contract price.”
However, that doesn't necessarily mean the company employees viewed the deal as anything shady on the Clippers' behalf as it relates to the NBA salary cap.
“Former top executives at Aspiration said that although people inside Aspiration had concerns about the deal, there had never been any discussion or speculation by senior executives that it might be a vehicle for Leonard and the Clippers to circumvent the salary cap,” reported the article.
A huge scandal for the Clippers
If the Los Angeles Clippers are found to have attempted to circumvent the NBA salary cap, the consequences could be dire. Some have pointed to a similar situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves around the turn of the century regarding player Joe Smith. After those revelations, the Timberwolves were forced to surrender draft picks and also dealt with fines and suspensions.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles is desperately hoping for a healthy season from Leonard and its other star players this year as they embark on a 2025-26 season in which they will be one of the oldest rosters in the NBA.
The Clippers are set to kick off their season on October 22 against the Utah Jazz on the road.
