Mark Cuban has come to the defense of Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer after a report alleged that the Clippers might have circumvented the salary cap in a deal with star forward Kawhi Leonard. In an extensive social media post, Cuban, a minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, refuted claims made in an investigative report by journalist Pablo Torre. This report suggested that Ballmer used a sponsorship agreement with the now-bankrupt sustainability company Aspiration to funnel additional funds to Leonard.
“I`m on Team Ballmer,” Cuban wrote. “As much as I`d wish they circumvented the salary cap, first, Steve isn`t that dumb. If he tried to slip money to K.L., 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 scandal originated from Aspiration`s bankruptcy filing in March 2025. The company admitted to defrauding investors, and its co-founder Joseph Sanberg pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges last week. Court documents listed Leonard`s company, KL2 Aspire LLC, as a creditor still owed $7 million.
Torre reported that Leonard had signed a $28 million contract with Aspiration, structured to pay him in cash over four years (from 2022 to 2025) provided he remained with the Clippers. A former Aspiration employee told Torre that the deal was designed “to circumvent the salary cap.”
Cuban, however, contended that the scandal points to Aspiration`s fraud, not Ballmer`s misconduct.
“They were scammed by Aspiration, along with many others,” Cuban wrote. “Crimes for which they pleaded guilty last week. Scammers do scammy things. They made a $300 million sponsorship deal with the Clippers in 2021. That`s a HUGE deal. The better the team performs, the more valuable the sponsorship. It actually makes perfect sense that if they stole money from investors and want the Clippers to succeed, why not use stolen money to help retain their best player?”
The NBA`s Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits teams or affiliated companies from arranging external compensation for players to bypass the salary cap. Penalties for violations can include multi-million dollar fines, loss of draft picks, and voiding of contracts.
The Clippers have vehemently denied any wrongdoing. In a statement to Torre, the team declared: “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any assertion to the contrary is demonstrably false.”
The NBA announced on Wednesday afternoon that it is “commencing an investigation” into the matter. Leonard, who re-signed with the Clippers in 2024 on a three-year, $149.5 million contract, has not publicly commented on the situation.
Cuban, who sold the Mavericks to the Adelson family in 2023 but still holds a controlling interest, also criticized Torre`s reporting, stating that the default assumption of Ballmer`s culpability “will backfire.”
“It`s sad that [Torre] didn`t take the time to find out how these scammers pulled off their scam,” Cuban wrote.
