Shortly after reports emerged of Kawhi Leonard's endorsement deal with a California-based sustainability services company, an insider has suggested that any punishment from the league might ultimately benefit the LA Clippers.Earlier this week, journalist Pablo Torre alleged that the LA Clippers, owned by Steve Ballmer, tried to bypass the NBA’s salary cap rules by arranging a $28 million endorsement deal for Leonard with the green investment firm Aspiration. The Clippers denied the allegations, but the NBA is conducting an investigation.On "The Carmichael Dave Show," insider Sam Amick explained that if Leonard is penalized, it could work in the Clippers' favor. He pointed out that a fine to Ballmer could be inconsequential, and that voiding Leonard’s contract could free up a significant amount of the team's salary cap."I had one person kind of sarcastically say to me, “Man, Steve’s going to win here. …" They were basically saying, “You’re going to void Kawhi’s contract, get all kinds of salary cap room.” The guy has barely played the last couple of years. Any fine you give Steve Ballmer is irrelevant,” Amick explained. When Kawhi Leonard is healthy, he's one of the most lethal two-way players in the NBA and capable of carrying a team to a championship. The Clippers re-signed him to a three-year, $150 million extension in the summer of 2024.The problem is that he hasn't been consistently available. Since joining the Clippers in 2019, Leonard has played just 266 of 472 regular-season games, including 37 last year.As good as he is when he's on the court, his persistent injury woes make him unreliable, and many believe the Clippers would be in a better position if they no longer needed to pay Leonard the $50 million he's owed in the 2025-26 season.Instead, that money and cap space could be used to support a rebuild and bring in a player who can stay on the floor and help James Harden lead the team.Steve Ballmer denies involvement in Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration controversyAfter Pablo Torre's report gained traction, the Clippers pushed back, issuing a statement that denied the claims.Ballmer also stepped forward to address the situation. He insisted that the organization has abided by all of the league’s rules and that he's not involved in the endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration."The Clippers have abided by the salary cap circumvention rules because that's the right thing to do,” Ballmer told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne."Pablo's podcast I don't know anything about the court documents on this. I haven't seen them,” Ballmer continued. “The speculation is what it is. … They conned me. I made an investment in these guys. At this stage, I have no ability to predict why they might have done anything they did, let alone the specific contract with Kawhi.”Kawhi Leonard’s camp has been silent on the matter.