Kawhi Leonard’s $28MM endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt company has raised questions that could spell trouble for the Clippers, ESPN’s Pablo Torre reported on his podcast.
According to Torre, Leonard signed with Aspiration, a “tree brokerage” company backed by $50MM from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, but did little or no work in return.
Documents showed he was set to earn $7MM over four years, while one former employee said Leonard “didn’t have to do anything.”
The concern is that the deal could be seen as a way to get around the NBA’s salary cap rules, which historically has led to steep punishments.
Back in 2000, the Timberwolves were fined $3.5MM and lost multiple first-round picks over a cap-circumvention scheme with Joe Smith.
The Clippers, however, pushed back, issuing a statement saying, “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”
Still, if the NBA finds wrongdoing, the penalty would likely go beyond the typical second-round pick docked in recent tampering cases.
Kawhi Leonard "No Show" Endorsement Deal May Have Violated Salary Cap Rules https://t.co/40tKEOyPZr pic.twitter.com/J82TikNmrc
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) September 3, 2025
