[Pablo Torre] Steve Balmer paid Kawhi Leonard under the table to avoid salary cap

If nothing happens to the Clippers then it’s open season for the rest of the league. Lakers will go ham. Silver has to know this right?

 

That team is getting to old anyways, looks to me there just stock piling greedy crooks

Chris "Cliff" Pawn, Bradley Bucks, James Frauden, Kawhi "No Show" Leonard

 

20 Million per year contract, and a completely unrelated 40 million dollar endorsement deal with JimBob's hardware store.

Makes navigating the cap a lot easier.

 

Echoing a ton of folks here saying that the league needs to come down hard on this.

 

Yeah, Silver will be wielding Mjolnir.

 

More news trickling in per Boston Sports Journal. Full article linked, but the main takeaway is full amount promised $48, not just the previously reported $28 m.

Article:

Kawhi Leonard endorsement deal that triggered NBA investigation was actually worth $48 million

"The $28 million deal was to be paid in quarterly installments over four years, but it was not the only compensation Leonard received. According to a high-level source, Leonard also cut a side deal with Aspiration to receive an additional $20 million in company stock. The stock was to be paid out from Sanberg’s personal holdings in the company over four years."​

Granted the company has now gone defunct, and Sanberg who was arrested in March of 2025 on charges of defrauding investors is unlikely to pay it.

 

Rockets got a turkey hair product sponsorship this year! Sengun didn’t take max money. Hmmm

Tilman you’re next!

 

Okay so here’s what needs to happen:
- Forfeit picks for x amount of years.
- Kawhi’s contract voided but still count against the cap and he cannot sign with any team for this season, so suspended. It’s not like he plays much anyways.
- Balmer hit with a hefty fine and I’d say forced to sell the team, but that won’t happen, so let’s say: anything like this every happening again or some kind of scandal, you’re out Balmer and we’re coming for your ass.

 

But Why?
I mean . . .d*mn . . . .. the contract wasn't enough?

Rocket River

 

Cuban seems confident here

 

Stuff like this has been going on for years.

 

Tillman would never

 

Toronto agreed to give him the 15 mil from a sponsor also so anything that happens to the clips should also happen to the raptors (assuming the nba won't actually dig into all the teams that do this, because they won't).

 

I saw some GMs quoted anonymously that if it’s true it’ll be a punishment worse than what Minn got for the Josh Smith thing in the 90s. Old timers may remember but for the young folks it was bad. 5 1st round picks, $4mil fine, voided contract and gm and owner were suspended. It killed the KG era in Minnesota pretty much.

 

It's fine - it isn't actually an illegal payment if it isn't used....

 

Joe Smith

 

It's printed on every coupon: "This coupon has no cash value."

So I guess it would not be counted as a form of payment.

 

Ballmer playing the victim is hilarious

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/66...lmer-kawhi-leonard-endorsement-deal-clippers/