NBA finds no evidence Steve Ballmer funneled money to Kawhi Leonard

sportsAug 17, 202626366

The NBA concluded its probe and found no evidence that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled sponsor money to Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the salary cap, sources reported. League investigators told reporters they did not uncover documents or transactions proving Ballmer or the Clippers paid Leonard through sponsors for that purpose. NBC Sports reported settlement talks between the league and the Clippers had been discussed as a potential path forward. The Clippers issued a public denial with the statement We did not funnel money. ESPN coverage and commentator Pablo Torre have emphasized that the league still can pursue circumvention findings under the Collective Bargaining Agreement when there is no other reasonable explanation, so the absence of a smoking gun does not automatically preclude discipline. Many observers and commentators expressed skepticism of the league finding, and some suggested arbitration or discovery could expose additional evidence if the NBA pursued charges. For now, the NBA has not announced any penalties related to these specific funneling allegations.

Phil Lewis

@phillewis.bsky.social

The NBA has reportedly found no evidence showing LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money through team sponsors to pay Kawhi Leonard in order to circumvent the salary cap

12812h ago

Jon23

This is a very serious league that needs to be taken seriously, presented to you by DraftKings.

spaced ghost11

so why did all the companies give kawhi money for nothing then? explain @nba.com or @pablo.show will 😂

Ding2

Earl2

With billionaire owners, the idea of a salary cap is silly.

freakanatcha.bsky.social1

I'm shocked, shocked to find that there is gambling going on here!

KG1

They have no evidence because they haven’t been looking

Quoting this

Dan Devine59

Seems anything south of a memo saying “Hey, BTW, this is so we can cheat" won't be enough. Without that, feels like it comes down to whether there's a face-saving version of punishment for all the "lack of institutional control" dot-connecting that parties would accept. Like we're at plea-bargaining

Oh, The Freemanity!!!4

Can't find what you dont look for 😉

67 Sound3

Following the SCOTUS logic of “if the money isn’t accompanied by a notarized statement that it’s an explicit quid pro quo, it’s not bribery” (at least when committed by billionaire Republicans).

The Cavalcade Of Asshats Murders Civilians For Sport3

Pablo Torre won a fucking Pulitzer for something the NBA is claiming didn't happen.

Blake Tapper2

We've investigated ourselves and found that we've been entirely honest.

StarGirlXO.exe2

Adam Silver pulled a WWE more and decided to look the other way bc it was "best for business". Ain't no way Pablo put all of that out there and y'all pretended not to see it

Henry David Thorough2

“How many fucking side deals have we made with Kawhi?” -Michael Winger, Former Clippers GM

Blevins Country, Nurkic Road

@shoozumoops.bsky.social

“it's unclear what NBA punishment Ballmer or the team might be willing to accept” Yeah, gotta make sure the guilty people like their punishment. Sure. Cool.

9812h ago

Nathaniel Glasgow3

Funny this is how everything works for rich people.

weird lil goblin2

I'm thinking back to when my mom told me I had to accept my punishment, it wasn't a negotiation so much as a "get right with the fact your getting your ass beat" situation. Rich folk really are on a different planet.

Christopher Bird

@mightygodking.com

translation: Ballmer is the richest NBA owner by far, and consequences for cheating are for little people

1710h ago

Miles Grant

@milesgrant.bsky.social

Salary caps are only for artifically suppressing worker salaries, not for punishing owners for rulebreaking

1112h ago

Brandon Mullen

@brandonmullen.com

Reminder to check phrasing carefully: "Has no evidence" is not the same as "did not do it," and the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement specifically allows the NBA to find salary cap circumvention if there is NO OTHER REASONABLE EXPLANATION for what happened. www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...

1011h ago

Bill Hanstock

@sundownmotel.bsky.social

it rules that the nba invented an accusation to clear ballmer of, since “funneling money through team sponsors” was never once a thing that the reporting suggested

68h ago

pbsimpulse9.bsky.social

@pbsimpulse9.bsky.social

Steve Ballmer had some homies from Haliburton lined up in black SUVs outside of the NBA office.

612h ago

[Utah] Jazz Man Mark

@jazzmanmark.com

Okay actually reading the article and I don't think this changes much in practice The NBA--nor Pablo Torre--has never had DISPOSITIVE proof. It's all aggressive circumstantial evidence (still important!) The NBA is still looking at whether this conduct is punishable www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...

512h ago

Mike

@85mf.bsky.social

I for one find it entirely plausible that multiple organizations found Kawhi Leonard‘s charisma so intoxicating that they paid him millions of dollars for no reason, all to the ultimate benefit of Steve Ballmer, and all above board. Coincidences happen every day people.

912h ago

Sean Woodley

@woodleysean.bsky.social

this really is just gonna end with uncle dennis and mitch frankel being sent to basketball siberia while the clippers ballmer and kawhi just get to keep on keepin on

811h ago

ashlynn_b

@ashlynnb.bsky.social

ESPN here basically saying the NBA wants to treat this whole thing as a failure to supervise player/sponsor deals vs the architecting of phony player/sponsor deals - it’s beyond obvious by now that the latter is what happened… just completely flies in the face of MULTIPLE reports from @pablo.show

612h ago

Less Sad Bucks Fan

@chaneysystems.bsky.social

Re: the Ballmer stuff. What’s the reason I watch the nba if you’re not a fan of one of the 5 or so glamour cities? Miami gets to tamper at will with Giannis and gets applauded. Bucks lose a second for Bogdan. Ballmer literally funnels hundreds of mil to Kawhi, bucks likely get slammed for GTJ

712h ago

Kurt Helin

@basketballtalk.bsky.social

NBA reportedly 'found no evidence Clippers, Ballmer funneled money to Kawhi Leonard, settlement talks started League sources had told NBC Sports that settlement talks were underway. That may be the ultimate end to this, but nobody will be happy. www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/nba...

610h ago

Quoting this

Grudgie the Whale2

That’s a pretty cagey and evasive way to phrase this from league sources

chris #1 nba lover / music critic

@dunks.bsky.social

the wire transfers from ballmer didnt specifically say “for kawhi leonard,” ergo, the conspiracy was allowed to continue unabated

612h ago

hardbap

@hardbap.bsky.social

Ballmer called Silver's bluff and was willing to take it to arbitration. NBA was worried about 2 potential outcomes from discovery if it went there: * nothing gets turned up to back up PT's reporting * or they are absolutely terrified of what comes out in the discovery

610h ago

1 source

espn.comSources: NBA has no evidence Ballmer funneled money to Leonard via sponsors

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NBA finds no evidence Steve Ballmer funneled money to Kawhi Leonard

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