By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-18 12:21:41 | Updated at 2026-08-18 14:33:58
2 hours ago
The NBA is pushing back against an ESPN report that allegedly reveals the results of the league's investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers' possible salary cap circumvention.
On Monday, the 'Worldwide Leader' reported that the NBA could not find any proof that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer bypassed the salary cap through team sponsorships in order to afford Kawhi Leonard.
Additionally, the outlet reported that both sides were working on 'negotiating a resolution to the investigation.'
However, the league released a statement criticizing ESPN's account of the facts.
'ESPN's article regarding the LA Clippers investigation – for which the NBA declined to cooperate – contains numerous and significant inaccuracies,' league spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
'The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.'
The NBA is pushing back against an ESPN report on the league's Kawhi Leonard
The league says ESPN's report 'contains numerous and significant inaccuracies'
The league has investigated whether Clippers owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the cap by having a company that sponsored the team hire Leonard to a 'no-show' endorsement deal
Despite the forceful assertion, the NBA did not specify which parts of the ESPN report were being disputed.
ESPN reports that the NBA is examining whether introducing Leonard to team sponsors constitutes a violation of the league's rules against salary cap circumvention and if the Clippers were responsible for a 'failure to supervise' their employees.
It's not clear what rules the organization could have violated - or what punishment may be handed down.
Allegations against the Clippers first surfaced in a report from last September by journalist Pablo Torre.
Torre's report highlighted an accusation against the team for giving Leonard $28million via a 'no-show' endorsement deal with team sponsor Aspiration, a company partly funded by Ballmer that has since gone bankrupt.
In addition to Aspiration, three other companies that also signed sponsorship deals with the Clippers are also involved in the investigation, per ESPN.
The co-founder of Aspiration is serving prison time after pleading guilty to fraud charges involving $248million.
ESPN reports that the NBA presented its initial findings late last month and is in the process of resolving the investigation.
The company, Aspiration, was partly funded by Ballmer prior to its bankruptcy filing
The Toronto Raptors have a deal pending to acquire Leonard, but are waiting to finalize it
In a statement to ESPN, the Clippers said the team 'introduced players, including Kawhi Leonard, to companies with which we had business relationships.
'Making introductions between players and team partners is both an ordinary practice by NBA teams and a common request of players and representatives.'
The Clippers also claim in the statement that they did not 'negotiate or dictate' the terms of Leonard's endorsement deals.
The team also claimed that a player-company business relationship is not proof of any salary-cap circumvention.
The Clippers are not the only team waiting on the full results of the investigation to be made public. Back in June, the Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade with Los Angeles to acquire Leonard.
However, the deal has yet to be finalized as the NBA made it clear the Raptors 'would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation.'
A statement from the Raptors at the time said they would 'wait until they league's investigation is complete.'
