The Los Angeles Clippers and proprietor Steve Ballmer are dealing with extra scrutiny after new reporting linked their monetary investments to funds made to Kawhi Leonard.
Torre detailed a sequence of transactions between Ballmer, the Clippers, and Aspiration, the monetary companies firm that reportedly paid Leonard $28 million for “no-show jobs.” Torre argued the timing raises main questions, on Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Over an 18-month stretch, Ballmer or the Clippers invested $118 million into Aspiration. A few of these funds got here when the corporate was struggling, and a number of other lined up carefully with when Leonard signed or acquired cash from Aspiration.
Torre laid out the timeline:
Sept. 14, 2021: Ballmer LLC invests $50M in Aspiration.
Sept. 27, 2021: Clippers announce cope with Aspiration.
April 1, 2022: Clippers ship $3M to Aspiration for carbon credit.
April 4, 2022: Clippers ship $32M to Aspiration for carbon credit.
April 4, 2022: Leonard indicators his $28M cope with Aspiration.
June 17, 2022: Clippers ship $21M to Aspiration for carbon credit.
July 6, 2022: Aspiration pays Leonard $1.75M.
Dec. 6, 2022: Clippers co-owner Dennis Wong invests $2M in Aspiration.
Dec. 15, 2022: Aspiration pays Leonard $1.75M.
March 9, 2023: Ballmer LLC invests $10M in Aspiration.
Late March 2023: Authorities begins to research Aspiration.
The overlap, in keeping with Torre, “paints an image during which the Clippers invested vital cash in Aspiration across the time Leonard both signed his deal or a fee was due.”
The reporting additionally highlighted Aspiration’s enterprise mannequin, which offered carbon credit at a steep mark-up. Torre defined that “if planting a tree solely value 10-20 cents, Aspiration would cost $1, immediately creating revenue.”
That revelation caught the eye of former Mavericks proprietor Mark Cuban, who tweeted that if the Clippers wished to skirt the wage cap, carbon credit may have been the simplest solution to do it.
That is the third straight week Torre has devoted to the Clippers-Aspiration saga. The NBA has since re-opened its investigation into whether or not Leonard acquired impermissible advantages, with commissioner Adam Silver saying the league will want “overwhelming proof” handy out punishments.
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