Kawhi Leonard. Image courtesy of Juan Ocampo/Getty Images.
On Sept. 3, The Athletic’s Pablo Torre reported that the Los Angeles Clippers were using a company called Aspiration to circumvent the cap and pay Kawhi Leonard through a no-show deal worth $28 million. Contributors Jake Aimone and Ian Manley debate whether the Clippers should be punished for what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver calls a “cardinal sin.”
Yes
By Jake Aimone
If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been accused of circumventing the salary cap by paying All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard through a no-show deal with a company that is now bankrupt.
The NBA’s salary cap, first implemented during the 1984-85 season, was designed to create competitive balance between the league’s teams. While some super teams have been assembled, it’s not without a cost, as teams must pay a luxury tax depending on how much they’ve exceeded the predetermined cap.
Enter the Clippers, who allegedly paid Leonard outside the system to reduce their luxury tax. While the effort to scam the league was well-conceived, as this has worked for the past four years, there’s no room for actions like this in professional sports. The LA Clippers defrauded the NBA, and they deserve to face the consequences of their actions—plain and simple.
No
By Ian Manley
While the situation certainly is concerning, it’s essential to take a step back and acknowledge none of this has been confirmed. The Clippers invested $50 million into Aspiration, and Aspiration signed Kawhi Leonard to a $28 million endorsement deal. Aspiration also inked a $300 million contract with the Clippers to put their names on the jerseys. If they really wanted to circumvent the salary cap, why do it through a company you are so publicly affiliated with?
On top of that, Aspiration’s founder pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud last month, defrauding victims of $248 million. It seems much more likely that the Clippers and Kawhi were duped by a shoddy company rather than any malicious and intentional salary cap violation. Furthermore, Kawhi’s contract with the Clippers already has him getting paid $7 million more per year than any other team could offer; it’s not like the Clippers are underpaying him.
In a contract negotiation with Paul George in 2024, the Clippers were unable to offer him enough money despite his wanting to stay on the team. If they were able to circumvent the cap in 2021 for one star, why not do it again in 2024 for another? It’s clear to me that the Clippers are innocent, and if the NBA is to punish anyone, it should be Aspiration.