A former Los Angeles Clippers staffer has urged owner Steve Ballmer “to get out” of the Kawhi Leonard business, according to NBA reporter Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
“This last investigation is different,” a former Clippers staffer said. “This one directly calls into question Steve Ballmer’s character. At some point, Steve has got to get out of the Kawhi business.”
According to Pablo Torre of Pablo Torre Finds Out, a company called Aspiration paid Leonard $48 million for a “no-show job” intended to circumvent the NBA salary cap.
Ballmer introduced Aspiration to Leonard in November 2021, three months after the Clippers had agreed to a four-year, $173 million extension with Leonard. Two months earlier, in September 2021, the Clippers announced a lucrative $300 million partnership with Aspiration.
Aspiration paid Leonard $1.7 million days after Clippers minority owner Dennis J. Wong made an almost $2 million investment in the company. This took place in December 2022. Leonard also got $20 million in Aspiration shares directly from co-founder Joe Sanberg.
Ballmer invested an additional $10 million in Aspiration in March 2023. The billionaire invested $50 million in Aspiration 18 months before that.
Leonard signed with the Clippers in 2019. LAC has never made the NBA Finals in franchise history.
A future Hall of Famer, Leonard will make $50 million from the Clippers in 2025-26 and $50.3 million in 2026-27. The NBA legend becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.
“Looking back, the deal was a f—ing disaster,” one rival GM told ESPN.
During the six seasons since the Clippers’ blockbuster 2019 acquisition of Leonard, the team has won just three playoff series and Leonard has played in only 42% of its games.
Leonard has career averages of 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Clippers.