To achieve their agenda and land Kawhi Leonard in 2019, the LA Clippers had to do a surreal amount of boasting on what they have to offer. This included a cooperative front office, a promising salary, a winning culture, and a guaranteed spot as the first option for as long as he decides to make Los Angeles his home.
Leonard heard the Clippers’ argument, but thought to himself that he needed more and urged the front office to make a splash for Paul George. The two-time champion wanted extensive assurance that a championship run was going to happen, and this mindset forced LA into a goodbye letter to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
To this day, the Clippers still do not have a championship, and although he is still fighting for one, Leonard is at the center of some serious allegations surrounding fraud. Sources have reported that he has been getting paid off the books.
Additionally, Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer is neck and neck with Leonard in the scandal. However, he did what he could in setting the record straight by interviewing with ESPN on the allegations.
To defend themselves, the Clippers will have to spend expensively on the best lawyers and legal fees. This is a requirement if LA wants their best chance at being proven innocent with sufficient evidence.
Yet, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, this is not the first time the Clippers have spent money on Leonard to defend his case. Millions have come and gone, and this situation is just another case on the list.
The LA Clippers have given up a historical package to essentially land Leonard, and then paid millions in fees on top of it
On multiple occasions, the LA Clippers have been sued regarding their best player, and face of the franchise, Kawhi Leonard. When one case has been dismissed, another one is opened, or they cross paths, but Leonard has been in a dispute for six seasons.
The year-to-date count increases, as the NBA is investigating the supposed fishy business Leonard and Steve Ballmer had going on with Aspiration. But this is worse for the superstar, as there was already another legal case going on with a former employee, Randy Shelton.
That said, keeping Leonard on the roster has come with millions that have been distributed towards unnecessary spending that most teams do not encounter with their superstar. The cherry on top is that he has earned hundreds of millions from the Clippers’ payroll.