Kawhi Leonard’s Aspiration Deal Raises New Questions About Clippers’ Cap Compliance
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Fresh details have emerged about a potential salary-cap circumvention scheme involving Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, investment app Aspiration and Clippers governor Steve Ballmer.
According to reporting from the Boston Sports Journal, a high-level source says Leonard secured a $20 million stock grant from Aspiration in addition to the $28 million cash endorsement agreement previously disclosed. Co-founder Andrei Cherny allegedly finalized the endorsement without consulting the company’s board or executive team, which believed the deal was a poor use of funds.
Despite the commitment, Aspiration’s marketing staff never activated Leonard in any campaigns, opting to focus on climate-oriented influencers instead, the report states.
Ballmer’s $50 Million Investment Scrutinized
Karalis also reports that Ballmer poured $50 million into Aspiration at $11 per share—$1 more than the price paid by Oak Tree Capital Management during an earlier funding round. Industry observers note that high-profile investors are typically offered discounted share prices, not premiums.
League Executives See “Red Flags”
The Clippers declared in a Wednesday statement that simultaneous sponsor deals with players are common practice. Rival executives quoted by The Athletic disagreed, saying Ballmer’s investment coupled with Leonard’s oversized endorsement—and his lack of promotional activity—are unusual on their own. “This sort of endorsement deal does not happen,” one general manager said.
Sources who spoke with Sports Illustrated echoed that sentiment, with one team official asserting that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver “has to make an example” if wrongdoing is confirmed.
Previous Concerns Involving Leonard
The Clippers were investigated in 2019 after reports that Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, requested improper benefits during free-agency talks. Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro has since said Leonard sought an extra $15 million in endorsement money from Toronto, while The Toronto Star reported that Robertson asked for a stake in the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
Agent and marketer Nate Jones noted on social media that the parties may maintain plausible deniability unless direct evidence of a quid pro quo surfaces. Still, as NBC Sports highlighted via Zach Lowe, the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement permits the league to prove cap circumvention through circumstantial evidence when a deal’s terms defy conventional explanation.
Source: Hoops Rumors
