With media day for the Los Angeles Clippers taking place on Monday, there was only one thing to talk about: the allegations of salary cap circumvention with star forward Kawhi Leonard. During his press conference, Leonard was asked about the allegations, but the veteran forward denied any wrongdoing on his part or the organization.
“I don’t read headlines or do conspiracy theories or anything like that, so. It’s about the season and what we’ve got ahead of us right now,” Leonard said, via The Washington Post’s Ben Golliver. “The NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no wrongdoing. That’s it.”
Earlier in the day, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said that he and the organization “welcome” the NBA’s investigation into allegations of wrongdoing. Leonard echoed that idea in his press conference.
“We invite the investigations. It’s not gonna be a distraction for me or the rest of the team,” Leonard added.
Earlier this month, NBA opened an investigation into the Clippers amid allegations that the team and owner Steve Ballmer got around cap restrictions when signing Leonard via a nonprofit. Journalist Pablo Torre reported in early September that Leonard signed a $28 million contract with tree-planting nonprofit Aspiration for a “no-show” job, which Torre alleges was funded by Ballmer and the Clippers.
Ballmer has said he was “defrauded” by Aspiration, which has since gone bankrupt. But Torre dropped another report Monday, just before media day, alleging that Ballmer continued to donate to the organization well after the nonprofit started showing red flags.
On Monday, Leonard also dismissed the reports as “clickbait,” and did not provide many specifics on the deal. He noted that his contract with the nonprofit was made “a while ago,” directing reporters to ask the people involved in the company for more details.
Before Leonard’s press conference, Frank addressed the allegations in a lengthy opening statement, but said that he could not freely answer questions given that the investigation was ongoing. In his comments, Frank spoke on Ballmer’s character, addressed salary cap restrictions and said that the reports did not match his personal experience.
“We are glad there is an investigation. We welcome it. We appreciate that there’ll be a clear eye to look at these allegations, and we’re eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. And we expect the investigation will show these allegations are wrong,” Frank said, via Golliver.
“I’m hurt for Steve,” he continued. “He’s one of the best people and most honorable people I’ve ever met. He does things the right way for the right reasons. And he constantly reminds us to stay on the right side of the rules. I’m also hurt for our players, our staff and fans, and on a larger level, as I’ve learned more about this over the past month, I feel bad for all the people who were defrauded by this individual. Let’s not forget, this was a case of widespread fraud, and there were a lot of different victims.
“The salary cap governs everything we do. Our mission every day is to build the best team we can under the constraints of the cap. There is no gray area. There are no secret shortcuts. It’s clear what we are and are not allowed to do.
“The accusations made against us are serious,” Frank concluded. “And they don’t line up with my experience, my reality. We will cooperate with this investigation and let this process play out. But we are eager for the whole truth, the whole picture, to be revealed. We’re very confident in what it will show.”
On Monday, Frank’s statement was careful to emphasize his own experience and speak on Ballmer’s character. But it is unclear what Frank’s notion of “the whole truth” would include in terms of the allegations.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said that the league would need clear evidence of circumvention to take action on the team, which may explain some of Frank’s confidence that the investigation would come up empty. NBA investigations take time, meaning it may take a while for the league to reach a conclusion.
Leonard signed with the team in 2019, after several seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and a championship with the Toronto Raptors. At the time of Leonard’s signing, the league looked into allegations that Leonard had been seeking improper benefits, but did not find any evidence of wrongdoing.
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