Aspiration execs baffled by Kawhi deal, but is it cap bypass?

The The Los Angeles Clippers are trying right now to prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season while simultaneously dealing with the ongoing NBA investigation in team owner Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard and their alleged circumvention of the league’s salary cap through no-show agreements. The alleged deal, originally reported by Pablo Torre, was between Leonardo and the post-bankruptcy company Aspiration.

A new article from the Wall Street Journal was recently published, i some light was shed to the mindset of Aspiration employees when the contract was first announced.

“‘It doesn’t make any business sense,'” Aspiration’s senior executive texted Mike Shukerow, the company’s general counsel and chief operating officer, after learning of the proposed deal with Leonard, according to an article via Hoopshipe.

It was also revealed that “terms fell apart within the company, with one executive telling a colleague that Aspiration could buy seven Super Bowl commercials at a negotiated price.”

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the company’s employees viewed the deal as something shady on behalf of the Clippers, as it relates to the NBA’s salary cap.

“Former top executives at Aspiration said that while people inside Aspiration had concerns about the deal, there was never any discussion or speculation by senior executives that it could be a means for Leonard and the Clippers to get around the salary cap,” the article said.

A huge scandal for the Clippers

If it is discovered that the Los Angeles Clippers tried to circumvent the NBA salary cap, the consequences could be dire. Some have pointed to a similar situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the turn of the century regarding player Joe Smith. After those revelations, the Timberwolves were forced to surrender draft picks and also dealt with fines and suspensions.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles is desperate for a healthy season from Leonard and its other stars this year as they head into the 2025-26 season with one of the oldest rosters in the NBA.

The Clippers will open their season on October 22 against the Utah Jazz on the road.