$28 Million for Nothing? Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers’ Alleged Salary Cap Scandal

Ladies and gentlemen… let me just say this plain: $28 MILLION… to do absolutely nothing?!

If this report is true, Kawhi Leonard has officially won the lottery of life.

Forget Powerball. Forget Mega Millions.

This brother allegedly got $28 million for a “no-show job” linked to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s investment in some bankrupt tree-planting company called Aspiration.

A tree-planting company! That’s right.

Forget buckets, we're talking about bark and branches.

Now, according to Pablo Torre — former ESPN guy, now host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” — legal documents show that Aspiration paid Kawhi’s company, KL2 Aspire, LLC, $28 million for what appears to be, and I quote, “essentially doing nothing.”

The insinuation?

That Ballmer was funneling money to Kawhi outside of his contract as a sneaky way to go around the NBA’s salary cap.

Now if that’s true, this isn’t just a minor oopsie. This isn’t just a “technical foul.” This is what Commissioner Adam Silver has called a cardinal sin of the NBA. 

Salary-cap circumvention is the type of thing that gets teams stripped of draft picks, fined millions, and maybe even seeing executives suspended.

The Clippers, of course, came out swinging with a long statement saying the whole idea is “absurd.” They said Ballmer didn’t funnel anything, that he simply invested in Aspiration, and they welcome the NBA’s investigation.

Now here’s the thing: this wouldn’t even be the first time eyebrows were raised over Kawhi’s recruitment.

Back in 2019, there were already whispers about his uncle, Dennis Robertson, pushing for side perks during Kawhi’s free agency sweepstakes.

At that time, the NBA didn’t find enough evidence to penalize the Clippers, but Silver warned: if new evidence comes up, it’s on sight. 

Well… here we are.

Let’s also remember: Kawhi isn’t some journeyman scrub.

This man signed for $104 million in 2019, then a $176 million extension in 2021, and most recently another $149 million deal in 2024. 

The bag is secured six times over. So why in the world would Ballmer — who’s already the richest owner in sports — allegedly feel the need to sneak $28 million on the side?

That’s the billion-dollar question.

Now let me be real with you. Do I think Kawhi Leonard needs an extra $28 million when he’s already making generational money?

No.

Do I think Steve Ballmer, worth $120 billion, cares about stashing Kawhi a couple million through some bankrupt tree-planting business?

Absolutely not.

But if this was actually a way to dodge the cap and keep Kawhi happy while still having room to chase Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and whoever else they’ve tried to stuff into that locker room, then yeah, we’re talking scandal.

And can I be honest? Part of me isn’t even mad. Because in a world where regular folks are grinding 9-to-5 for scraps, Kawhi Leonard allegedly walked into a $28 million paycheck for planting trees he didn’t even plant! 

That’s not just the American dream, that’s the American cheat code.

But if the NBA proves it?

Oh, you better believe the hammer’s coming down. Draft picks gone. Heavy fines. Maybe even bigger.

Because the one thing Adam Silver will not tolerate is teams bending the cap to hoard stars.

For now, the investigation continues. The Clippers deny. Kawhi stays quiet, as always.

And the fans?

We just sit back and ask ourselves: is this man really getting paid $28 million to water imaginary plants while hooping part-time for the Clippers?

I mean, damn.

Only in the NBA, y’all.

Only in the NBA.