By Chalien Dantes 

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are facing serious accusations of skirting NBA salary cap rules through a questionable endorsement deal, but the team is pushing back hard, calling the claims completely unfounded.

The controversy stems from a recent report by journalist Pablo Torre, who alleges that Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with a now bankrupt Eco finance company called Aspiration. According to the report, the deal may have been a covert way to funnel extra money to the Clippers star, a potential violation of the NBA’s strict salary cap regulations.

Here’s where it gets murky: Aspiration, which branded itself as a tree-planting, environmentally conscious company, reportedly had financial backing from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, one of the richest men in the world. Yet despite the massive dollar figure, there’s no known evidence that Leonard ever actually did any promotional work for the brand.

Torre also cites a former Aspiration employee who claims the endorsement deal existed solely to serve as a workaround, effectively giving the Clippers a way to pay Leonard beyond what’s allowed under league rules. Payments tied to the deal were allegedly funnelled to Leonard’s uncle and long-time advisor, Dennis Robertson, who was previously investigated by the NBA over a separate incident but was ultimately cleared.

The Clippers wasted no time responding to the allegations, issuing a firm denial. “Neither Mr Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration,” the team said in a statement.

So far, neither Kawhi Leonard nor the NBA has publicly commented on the matter.