The NBA continues to sit on the investigation looking into the Los Angeles Clippers‘ alleged salary cap circumvention scheme to pay Kawhi Leonard off the books.
Sports journalist Pablo Torre has uncovered at least three different side deals and no-show jobs that clearly violate the NBA’s CBA and help explain why Leonard also took a pay cut in one of his contract extensions.
After deals with Aspiration and Rhode Island FC, Torre has now unveiled another secret arrangement between the Clippers, Leonard, and Daktronics, the company that built the Intuit Dome’s Jumbotron.
And in the latest edition of his podcast, he unearthed leaked emails that don’t do much to help the Clippers’ case.
Leaked emails are more trouble for Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers
The first email, which was sent on March 16, 2021 from a Clippers email address and to Daktronics and other members of the organization, read:
“We wanted to check in to see if your team has already met with the player and his rep or if you have the meeting on the books. We look forward to beginning the activations and if you have any questions about anything please don’t hesitate to reach out!”
A second email, sent roughly one month later and involving the same people, followed up with a question regarding Leonard’s uncle and representative, Dennis Robertson:
“Wanted to check in to see if you’ve been able to connect with Uncle Dennis/KL to secure a date,” it read.
Then, a third email, sent on May 11, 2021 from a Daktonics address and addressed to several members of the Clippers organization, responded:
“I’ll follow up and get back to you! Thanks for the reminder! Go Clippers!”
Sometimes, the sum is greater than the sum of its parts. These emails may not directly show that Daktronics and Leonard had a side deal, but it shut down the franchise’s excuse of being unaware of Leonard’s ties to other companies.
Torre has uncovered and followed the paper trail directly tying Leonard’s multiple LLCs to several Clippers sponsors for deals that clearly violate the league’s salary cap circumvention policy.
The longer Adam Silver waits to lay the hammer, the more the league’s integrity will continue to take hits.
