The NBA began an investigation into possible irregularities in the Kawhi Leonard contract with Los Angeles Clippers, after the Angelina franchise was accused of paying 28 million dollars to the player through a company of its owner to avoid the salary limit.
“We are aware of this morning’s media report on the Clippers and we are starting an investigation,” said NBA spokesman Mike Bass, to the ESPN.
The investigations occur after media reported that Leonard had signed a contract for 28 million dollars with the Aspiration company, partially financed by the owner of the Clippers, Steve Ballmer, which offered the forward a sponsorship agreement that never came to comply.
The agreement with Aspiration, a company now bankrupt that sponsored the team that year, was sealed in 2022, nine months after Leonard firm a renewal for four years with the Angelina franchise.
The 176 million dollars agreed then in the contract were the maximum allowed by the NBA, so the agreement with Aspiration would have allowed the player and franchise overlooking the salary limit of the League, which penalizes those teams that exceed it.
According to the journalist Pablo Torre in a Pódcast, the sponsorship agreement included a clause that allowed Leonard to rule out any act to which he did not want to go, and established that the link would be annulled when the forward left the clippers.
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The clippers denied today in a statement these facts ensuring that neither their current owner nor the franchise “eluded the salary limit nor committed any fault related to aspiration.”
In addition, they indicated that the relationship with Aspiration culminated at the close of the 2022/23 season, when the company breached its obligations.
“Neither the clippers nor Mr. Ballmer were aware of any undue activity by aspiration or his co -founder until after the government began their investigation. The team and Mr. Ballmer are ready to help the forces of the order as much as possible,” they said.
Leonard arrived at the Clippers the 2019/20 season, from the Toronto Raptors, with which the NBA Championship had raised the previous season being the MVP of the final.
With EFE information.
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