TITLE: Arbitrator Orders Derrick Jones Jr. to Pay Former Agent; League Reviews Potential Clippers Penalties in Kawhi Leonard Inquiry
SLUG: arbitrator-orders-derrick-jones-jr-pay-former-agent-kawhi-leonard-investigation
CONTENT:
An NBA arbitrator has ruled that Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. must pay his former agent, Aaron Turner, the entire 4 percent commission tied to Jones’s current contract with the club.
The decision, disclosed by Sportico’s Michael McCann, states that Jones did not provide the mandatory 15-day written notice before ending his representation agreement with Turner. As a result, Turner is entitled to receive $1.2 million, the full commission on Jones’s three-year, $30 million deal signed with the Clippers this summer.
During arbitration, Jones testified that he pursued negotiations himself after becoming upset with an earlier Dallas Mavericks offer of three years and $27 million. He asked Turner to waive the notice period, but Turner refused, leading to the contractual dispute.
Possible Sanctions in Kawhi Leonard Endorsement Probe
The NBA is also investigating whether the Clippers violated salary-cap rules through Kawhi Leonard’s endorsement agreement with the financial-services company Aspiration. According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, potential penalties range widely, including:
- A team fine of up to $7.5 million
- A personal fine of $350,000 for Leonard
- Loss of draft picks
- Suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer or other team officials
- In an extreme outcome, voiding Leonard’s contract, which would immediately make him a free agent
Commissioner Adam Silver, speaking at the Front Office Sports conference, said the league has hired an external law firm to conduct the inquiry. “We will get to the bottom of it,” Silver told attendees, adding that he currently has no direct knowledge of the endorsement’s details but intends to uncover them.
The league has not provided a timeline for when the investigation will conclude.
Source: Hoops Wire
