The NBA has stripped the Los Angeles Clippers of five first-round draft picks and fined owner Steve Ballmer $30 million at the conclusion of its probe into alleged salary cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard.
The league is also fining Leonard $700,000.
The NBA announced the decision Wednesday.
The decision comes months after journalist Pablo Torre unveiled the possible violation during an episode of his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out." During the program, Torre revealed an agreement between Leonard and a now-bankrupt company called Aspiration, in which Ballmer was heavily invested. The agreement paid Leonard $28 million to essentially do nothing. Ballmer was accused of using the $28 million deal as a way to circumvent the NBA salary cap and give Leonard more money to sign with the franchise.
On the day the story originally broke, the Clippers and Ballmer denied any wrongdoing, issuing a statement denying the allegations made by Torre.
#ballmer #salary
The league is also fining Leonard $700,000.
The NBA announced the decision Wednesday.
The decision comes months after journalist Pablo Torre unveiled the possible violation during an episode of his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out." During the program, Torre revealed an agreement between Leonard and a now-bankrupt company called Aspiration, in which Ballmer was heavily invested. The agreement paid Leonard $28 million to essentially do nothing. Ballmer was accused of using the $28 million deal as a way to circumvent the NBA salary cap and give Leonard more money to sign with the franchise.
On the day the story originally broke, the Clippers and Ballmer denied any wrongdoing, issuing a statement denying the allegations made by Torre.
#ballmer #salary
14 hours ago
