The Clippers are under investigation by the NBA after reports from Pablo Torre laid out the possibility the franchise circumvented the salary cap in order to pay Kawhi Leonard through a "no-show job" with former team sponsor Aspiration. It has been the biggest talking point of the entire NBA offseason and many eyes were on the team's media day in Los Angeles on Monday to see how those in charge would handle the ongoing investigation with reporters.
It took no time at all for the Clippers to address the issue. To open up media day, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank issued a lengthy statement in which he proclaimed the Clippers "welcome" the NBA's investigation because they are confident it will clear them of the accusations levied over breaking salary cap rules. Additionally, Frank once again stated that owner Steve Ballmer and the team were defrauded by Aspiration, which has been a recurring defense from Los Angeles over the course of the saga.
"I'm not naive," Frank said. "I know there are a lot of questions about our organization. I wish I could answer them all. But out of respect to the NBA investigation, I can't. What I can do is answer what I'm able to share. I will say this: We are glad there's an investigation. And we welcome it. We appreciate that there will be a clear-eye look at these allegations. We're eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. We expect the investigation will show these allegations are wrong.
"I'm hurt for Steve [Ballmer]. He's one of the best people, one of the most honorable people I've ever met. He does things the right way for the right reasons. And he constantly reminds us to stay on the right side of the rules. I'm also hurt for our players, our staff, and fans. On a larger level, as I've learned more about this over the past month, I feel bad for all the people who are defrauded by this individual. Let's not forget: this was a case of widespread fraud. And there were a lot of different victims.
"The salary cap governs everything we do. Our mission every day is to build the best team we can under the constraints of the cap. There is no gray area. There are no secret shortcuts. It's clear what we are and are not allowed to do. The accusations made against us are serious and they don't line up with my experience, my reality. We will cooperate with this investigation and let this process play out. But we are eager for the whole truth, the whole picture, to be revealed. We're very confident in what it will show."
Lawrence Frank's opening statement on the Clippers investigation:
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 29, 2025
"We are glad there's an investigation, and we welcome it. We're eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. We expect the investigation to… pic.twitter.com/r463r4SwOU
It is a firm statement that goes at the issue head-on before the inevitable avalanche of questions from reporters. It also doesn't say much new. The Clippers' stance has always been that they did not break any rules and any suspicious financial moves were the result of Ballmer getting fooled by Aspiration.
The NBA has decided to find out for itself whether that's true by launching the investigation. Everybody will be watching for their findings.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Clippers President Issues Statement on Kawhi Leonard Controversy to Open Media Day .
