Adam Silver's Honest Statement On Clippers, Kawhi Leonard Investigation

While Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has come out on multiple occasions to dismiss any wrongdoing by himself, Leonard has remained silent, which makes sense given his reserved persona. During Front Office Sports' event Tuned In , NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the ongoing investigation, sharing his honest thoughts.

"I'm a lawyer. I believe in due process. I believe in fairness. We will begin with a presumption of innocence, not a presumption of guilt. We will follow the facts," Silver said during the event.

A Summary Of What's Known Publicly

The first piece of news to begin circulating online started when Torre revealed that Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with the tree-planting company Aspiration, which was a no-show deal that would be terminated if Leonard was no longer a member of the Clippers. However, it only became interesting once it was known that Ballmer invested $50 million in the company.

Since then, it's been viewed as a way the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay Leonard more under the table to get him to play for the Clippers.

Additionally, Leonard also received a $20 million side-deal from Aspiration, as reported by Boston Sports Journal and Torre. Therefore, his total compensation from the company was a combined $48 million, making Ballmer's $50 million investment that much more eye-popping.

Lastly, a Clippers co-owner invested just under $2 million in Aspiration, and Leonard was paid $1.75 million just nine days later.

All of this, among plenty of other tidbits of information out there, has many wondering what could happen to the Clippers if they are proven guilty. Among the most severe punishments, the Clippers could be forced to void Leonard's contract, and the two-time NBA Finals MVP would be prohibited from resigning with the Clippers.

Of course, that's the severe end, but with so much uncertainty and Silver clearly wanting this investigation to follow due process, who knows when a decision could be made.