Camille Naredo

Steve Ballmer attends LA Clippers Tip-Off The NBA Season at Intuit Dome on October 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California. Leon Bennett, Getty Images/AFP/File

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 23: Steve Ballmer attends LA Clippers Tip-Off The NBA Season at Intuit Dome on October 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California.   Leon Bennett/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Leon Bennett / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

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LA Clippers Tip-Off The NBA Season At Intuit Dome - Red Carpet Arrivals

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787040484606AFP__20250314__2180669469__v4__MidRes__LaClippersTipOffTheNbaSeasonAtIntuitDomeRedCa.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Steve Ballmer attends LA Clippers Tip-Off The NBA Season at Intuit Dome on October 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California. Leon Bennett, Getty Images/AFP/File"/>Image Steve Ballmer attends LA Clippers Tip-Off The NBA Season at Intuit Dome on October 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California. Leon Bennett, Getty Images/AFP/File</div>LOS ANGELES—The NBA has found no evidence that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer evaded salary cap rules to pay Kawhi Leonard through sponsors, according to an ESPN report on Monday.But the NBA says the story contains major errors regarding the league&#x27;s 11-month investigation and the result will not be known until the probe is complete.The report, citing unnamed sources familiar with discussions in the matter, said the probe went beyond Aspiration, the firm first linked to financial deals with Leonard, to at least three other companies to which the Clippers introduced Leonard.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/9/30/nba-leonard-says-no-wrongdoing-in-clippers-phony-job-probe-1632">READ: Leonard says &#x27;no wrongdoing&#x27; in Clippers phony job probe</a></div>But, the report said, there was no evidence showing Ballmer funneled money to Leonard through the firms, which had sponsorship ties to the Clippers.ESPN sources said a report on the probe was delivered in late July and both sides have been negotiating to bring a resolution to the investigation.The league responded after the story was released on the ESPN website.&quot;ESPN&#x27;s article regarding the LA Clippers investigation -- for which the NBA declined to cooperate -- contains numerous and significant inaccuracies,&quot; NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. &quot;The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.&quot;After Aspiration signed a sponsor deal with the Clippers, Leonard signed a 2022 sponsorship deal with Aspiration.

The NBA has found no evidence that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer evaded salary cap rules to pay Kawhi Leonard through sponsors, according to an ESPN report on Monday.

The NBA has found no evidence that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer evaded salary cap rules to pay Kawhi Leonard through sponsors, according to an ESPN report on Monday.

NBA has no evidence of Clippers salary cap cheating—report

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NBA has no evidence of Clippers salary cap cheating—report

Agence France-Presse

Published August 18, 2026 04:09 PM PHT

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