Danilo Gallinari isn’t mincing words about Kawhi Leonard’s punishment for the Clippers’ salary cap scheme. The former Los Angeles forward believes Leonard got off way too light with his $700,000 NBA fine and thinks he should fork over a massive $50 million instead. Gallinari laid it all out on the “A Cresta Alta” podcast, making it crystal clear that he feels personally wronged by the whole situation.
Gallinari Feels the $50 Million Should Go to Charity
Gallinari explained his beef during the podcast, saying, “In my opinion, since he changed the trajectory of my career he got me in trouble by sending me away from Los Angeles he deserves to pay all $50 million of that money he took. He has to pay it all.” He even went a step further, suggesting Leonard should donate that hefty sum to charity. This isn’t just some random rant. Gallinari was directly impacted by Leonard’s signing. The same day Leonard inked his deal, the Clippers traded Gallinari and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Paul George. While Gallinari admitted that trade actually worked out for him and Gilgeous-Alexander, who became an NBA star, the core issue still irks him. He felt his NBA path was hijacked by a player’s decision, not by a general manager or owner, and that’s a tough pill to swallow.
The Massive Scheme and the NBA’s Fallout
So, what’s this $50 million number all about? It refers to the cash Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reportedly funneled into Aspiration, a company that allegedly paid Leonard at least $28 million for “no-show jobs.” This was all an alleged way to skirt around the NBA’s salary cap rules. The “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast blew the lid off this deal, sparking an NBA investigation into Leonard’s original contract with the Clippers. After months of digging, the NBA dropped the hammer. Ballmer was fined $30 million and suspended from team activities for a year. Leonard, for his part in the scheme, was fined $700,000 but somehow managed to avoid a suspension. Ballmer and the Clippers initially pushed back, but the owner finally accepted the NBA’s punishment this past Sunday.
Now that the dust has settled, Leonard is cleared to play. That means his offseason trade to the Toronto Raptors, which was agreed upon back in June but put on hold due to the investigation, is expected to go through. Leonard will be ready to hit the court for the Raptors’ first game of the 2026-27 NBA season. His wallet will be $700,000 lighter, sure, but if you ask Danilo Gallinari, that’s just a drop in the bucket for the trouble Leonard caused.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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