The NBA has refuted allegations reported in an ESPN piece concerning the league’s inquiry into Los Angeles Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer. According to ESPN’s Monday morning report, three sources claimed that the NBA did not uncover any proof indicating that Ballmer used team sponsors to compensate Kawhi Leonard illicitly and surpass the salary cap.
The article suggested that the NBA is now examining whether the Clippers’ introduction of Leonard to team sponsors breaches the league’s regulations prohibiting salary cap violations. NBA spokesperson Mike Bass discredited the ESPN article in a statement released Monday afternoon, citing multiple inaccuracies. Bass assured that the outcomes of the NBA’s investigation will be disclosed upon its conclusion.
A potential trade between L.A. and the Toronto Raptors involving Leonard has been deferred pending the league’s decision on potential penalties.
