Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban has publicly supported Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer following allegations of salary cap violations involving star player Kawhi Leonard. Through an extensive social media post, Cuban refuted claims from an investigative report by journalist Pablo Torre, which implied Ballmer used a sponsorship agreement with the now-defunct sustainability firm Aspiration to provide Leonard with extra compensation.
“I`m on Team Ballmer,” Cuban declared. He questioned the credibility of the accusations, stating: “As much as I wish they circumvented the salary cap, first Steve isn`t that dumb. If he did try to feed KL money, knowing what was at stake for him personally, and his team, do you think he would let the company go bankrupt? Knowing all creditors would be visible to the world?”
The heart of the dispute lies in Aspiration`s bankruptcy filing in March 2025. The company has acknowledged defrauding investors, and its co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, recently pleaded guilty to several federal offenses. Court documents reveal that Leonard`s company, KL2 Aspire LLC, is listed among the creditors, with an outstanding claim of $7 million.
Torre`s report indicated that Leonard had entered into a $28 million agreement with Aspiration, designed to disburse cash payments over four years (2022-2025) contingent on his continued tenure with the Clippers. An ex-employee of Aspiration allegedly told Torre that this arrangement was intended “to circumvent the salary cap.”
Cuban, conversely, contended that the controversy highlights Aspiration`s fraudulent activities, rather than any illicit actions by Ballmer.
“They got scammed by Aspiration, along with many others,” Cuban asserted, referencing the crimes for which the company pleaded guilty. He added: “Scammers do scammy things. They did a $300 million sponsorship deal with the Clippers in 2021. That`s a HUGE deal. The better the team does, the more value the sponsorship has. It actually makes perfect sense that if they stole money from investors and want the Clippers to succeed, why not give stolen money to help keep their best player?”
The NBA`s Collective Bargaining Agreement explicitly forbids teams or related entities from providing additional, undisclosed compensation to players to bypass salary cap restrictions. Violations can lead to severe penalties, including substantial fines, forfeiture of draft picks, and the nullification of player contracts.
The Clippers vehemently denied any wrongdoing. In an official statement provided to Torre, the team declared: “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the NBA announced it is “commencing an investigation” into these allegations. Leonard, who signed a three-year, $149.5 million contract extension with the Clippers in 2024, has not yet issued a public statement.
Cuban, who maintains a controlling interest in the Mavericks despite selling the majority stake to the Adelson family in 2023, also critiqued Torre`s reporting. He suggested that the default assumption of Ballmer`s culpability “is going to backfire.”
“It`s sad that [Torre] didn`t take the time to find out how these scammers pulled off their scam,” Cuban concluded.
