The former CEO of Suction, Andrei Chernie, has denied allegations that Kawhi Leonard’s agreement with the company was structured as a “no-show” contract.
Chernie, who stepped down from his position in 2022, addressed the claims on social media, stating that the accusations surrounding the contract are untrue. He emphasized that the agreement included multiple obligations across three pages that Leonard was required to fulfill. Notably, Chernie pointed out that the contract allowed for termination if Leonard did not meet those obligations.
In a subsequent post, Chernie expressed his surprise that, despite the ongoing discussions about the Clippers and Leonard, there hadn’t been more effort to clarify the details of the contract. He mentioned in an interview that while provisions for celebrity endorsements are common, they should not require the individual to act against their principles.
Chernie admitted he couldn’t recall specific discussions regarding the NBA salary cap that took place before signing Leonard’s approval agreement, suggesting a backdrop of internal deliberations about various matters at the time.
Less than two weeks after Pablo Torre revealed the details of a four-year, $28 million so-called no-show agreement, Chernie responded to the report. Torre had initially indicated his skepticism about the claims and reached out to Chernie for clarification.
In response, Chernie acknowledged some miscommunication regarding Torre’s inquiries, admitting to mislabels in his tweets. He mentioned that earlier comments might have been misinterpreted, relating to a disputed report regarding his past involvement with investigations during a political campaign.
The situation further escalated when allegations were made against Suction co-founder Joe Samberg, who faced legal issues earlier this year for defrauding investors.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer previously avoided commenting on salary caps in an ESPN interview, while the team released a statement distancing themselves from the alleged misconduct, asserting their unawareness of any wrongdoing by Suction until investigations began.
The NBA has since launched an investigation into these allegations, engaging law firms to address the matter.
