The LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have emerged at the center of attention in the sports world after reports surfaced about an alleged attempt to bypass the NBA’s salary cap rules. The news spread quickly online when details emerged of $28 million being paid to Leonard through a now-defunct green investment firm.LeBron James’ friend, Anthony Abdul Alcindor, widely known on social media as @CuffsTheLegend, couldn’t resist making light of the situation. He drew a comparison to the Netflix series "Ozark," where Jason Bateman’s character Marty Byrde launders money for a drug cartel.“Kawhi & Steve Ballmer out here money laundering like Marty Byrde from the Ozarks 😂💰” @CuffsTheLegend wrote on X.Pablo Torre exposed details on Wednesday, highlighting certain questionable activity involving Steve Ballmer and the Clippers. Torre’s findings point to a $28 million endorsement deal between Leonard, through his company “KL2 Aspire LLC,” and the now-defunct firm “Aspiration.” The deal reportedly came with no promotional work from Leonard, raising concerns that it may have been a questionable way to circumvent salary cap rules.The Clippers, however, strongly denied any wrongdoing in a public statement.“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”So far, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has not made a statement on the situation, but many believe an investigation could be on the horizon.Former employee exposes Steve Ballmer for portraying Kawhi Leonard as an endorserPablo Torre’s findings uncovered more than just numbers. He sat down with a former Aspiration employee, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity.The employee revealed that Aspiration, Steve Ballmer, and the LA Clippers quietly arranged a deal to disguise Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million payment, spread over four years at $7 million per year.“I didn’t so much as discover it as I was told about it,” the employee said. “My reaction was, ‘What the f***?’"“I was told, ‘These are the major players and major contracts you really need to be aware of.’ … Oh, and by the way, we also have a marketing deal with Kawhi Leonard. A $28 million organic marketing sponsorship. … If I had any questions about it, essentially don’t, because it was to circumvent the salary cap,'” the mystery employee added.Unlike other high-profile collaborations with celebrities such as Drake, Robert Downey Jr. and Leonardo DiCaprio, this particular arrangement was kept almost completely hidden. Despite the size of the deal and Kawhi Leonard’s popularity, there was no press coverage.