“NBA Denies Allegations of Salary Cap Violations in Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Deal”

The NBA has refuted allegations put forth in a recent ESPN piece concerning the inquiry into Los Angeles Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer. In its Monday publication, ESPN referenced three sources claiming that the NBA had not discovered any proof indicating that Ballmer had used team sponsors to compensate Kawhi Leonard in a bid to sidestep salary cap regulations. Instead, the article suggested that the NBA is examining whether the team’s presentation of Leonard to sponsors breaches the league’s regulations prohibiting salary cap evasion. NBA representative Mike Bass discredited the ESPN report in a statement released on Monday afternoon, citing numerous inaccuracies. Bass stated that the outcomes of the NBA’s probe will be disclosed upon its conclusion. A trade deal between L.A. and the Toronto Raptors involving Leonard has been paused pending the league’s decision on potential sanctions.