The Los Angeles Clippers earned praise this offseason for their slew of good moves, adding Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, John Collins, and Brook Lopez to shore up the roster and continue to contend in the talent-deep Western Conference.

But now, the Clippers, particularly owner Steve Ballmer, are being castigated for allegedly skirting the salary cap via a four-year, $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal given to Kawhi Leonard in 2022. It is now being probed by the NBA.

The issue was revealed by former ESPN reporter Pablo Torre on his podcast. He said he obtained documents regarding Ballmer's $50 million investment with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental startup. Torre found a connection between Ballmer's donation and Leonard's endorsement deal.

Ballmer has denied the allegation and said he is more than willing to help in the investigation

Torre, however, appeared to be unconvinced as he posed a question on X.

“One thing I've been wondering about, as the NBA officially announces its investigation and the scope of our Aspiration investigation continues to crystallize: When is Steve Ballmer going to try and appeal to public sympathy with a sit-down interview?” asked Torre on Thursday.

A few moments later, ESPN posted a picture of Ballmer being interviewed by veteran reporter Ramona Shelbourne. Torre reacted with a very economical “Oh.”

Article Continues Below

Talk about an on-the-money (pun intended) prediction.

If the allegation is proven to be true, the Clippers could face stiff sanctions, including suspension, a fine of at least $7.5 million, and the voiding of future draft picks, among others.

As of writing, Leonard has yet to issue a statement on the issue.

Ballmer's camp stressed that the 69-year-old business mogul didn't “engage in any misconduct related to Aspiration.”

“Any contrary assertion is provably false. The team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago, during the 2022–23 season, when Aspiration defaulted on its obligations. Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government instituted its investigation,” read the statement.