Leonard s new contract is suspected of a yin-yang contract. Will Harden encounter misfortune again?

Recently, US media NBACentral social media updated its updates about the endorsement contract of Clippers player Kawhi Leonard.

caption: "Kayey Leonard is suspected of signing a $28 million "posted position" endorsement agreement with a fraudulent tree planting company, and the company is actually secretly invested by Clippers boss Steve Ballmer. Sources say the move is entirely to "avoid the salary cap."

NBACentral also released an analysis of Leonard and the company's suspicious points, and since then, other media, including Yahoo Sports, have followed up on the report.

According to the exposed contract documents, one of the terms is particularly eye-catching. The document shows:

"To avoid doubt, if Leonard is still receiving compensation from the team but has joined another NBA team or has retired, either of these two situations will constitute a trigger for the company's termination of the agreement."

In other words, Leonard's endorsement revenue is closely linked to whether he continues to play for the Clippers. As long as he no longer wears the Clippers jersey, the company has the right to terminate payment immediately. This was interpreted by the media as Leonard's endorsement compensation, which is actually equivalent to the "attached salary" he stayed with the Clippers.

Kevin O 'Connor, a well-known reporter, said bluntly:

"This story is crazy. There is a clause that Kawhi Leonard can only continue to get money if he is still in the Clippers."

"Yin-Yang Contract " usually refers to the team and the player signing two contracts: one is a public contract below the market price, and the other is a private compensation contract, with the purpose of avoiding salary caps and luxury taxes. This operation is strictly prohibited by the NBA and will face heavy penalties once discovered.

NBA Labor and Capital Agreement explicitly prohibits Yin-Yang contract behavior. According to the league regulations:

First violation: maximum fine of $4.5 million

Second violation: maximum fine of $5.5 million

Other punishments may include draft pick deprivation, contract voiding, etc., which scared the Clippers' official urgently issued a statement, and then the Clippers' official announcement:

"Mr. Ballmer and the Clippers neither avoided the salary cap nor did they have any misconduct in matters related to Aspiration.

Any statement to the contrary is complete Wrong. The team had terminated its partnership with Aspiration as early as the 2022-23 season because Aspiration failed to fulfill its obligations. Before the government launched an investigation, neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer knew of any misconduct in Aspiration or its co-founder. The team and Mr. Ballmer were ready to assist law enforcement in the best of their ability. "The NBA has announced that it will investigate the matter, focusing on whether this endorsement contract constitutes a wage cap evasion.

I can only say that Leonard looks quite honest, but I didn't expect so many little thoughts in private.

Harden was even more unlucky. He finally renewed his contract, but this kind of thing happened. If the punishment is really done in the end and the Clippers will waste their peak again, it depends on whether the Clippers coach Ballmer can withstand it and what the background is.