On the latest episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Torre reported that a 2023 whistleblower complaint to the SEC accused Aspiration of fraudulently misusing funds to assist the Los Angeles Clippers circumvent salary cap restrictions to pay Kawhi Leonard “an incentivized bonus.”
Torre shared screenshots of the complaint, but he did not report whether the SEC verified the whistleblower’s account.
The SEC brought charges against Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg last year, alleging Sanberg committed fraud in how he presented the company’s finances. Those charges did not mention the Clippers.
If the NBA finds the Clippers guilty of circumventing the salary cap for Leonard, the forward’s contract could get voided. The future Hall of Famer would become an unrestricted free agent if that were to happen and free to sign with any team of his choice.
Leonard joined the Clippers in the summer of 2019. Aspiration allegedly paid Leonard $48 million for a no-show job intended to circumvent the NBA salary cap. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $10 million in Aspiration in March 2023. The billionaire had invested $50 million in Aspiration 18 months prior.
Ballmer introduced Aspiration to Leonard in November 2021, three months after the Clippers had agreed to a four-year, $173 million extension with Leonard. Two months earlier, in September 2021, the Clippers announced a lucrative $300 million partnership with Aspiration.
Aspiration paid Leonard $1.7 million days after...
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