Kawhi Leonard’s $28 Million Endorsement Deal Could Spark NBA Investigation
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The NBA is weighing whether to open a formal inquiry into a $28 million endorsement agreement between Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and the now-bankrupt tree-planting firm Aspiration, according to reporting revealed on ESPN’s “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast.
Pablo Torre reported that Aspiration, a “tree brokerage” backed by $50 million from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, paid Leonard despite the absence of any documented promotional work. Seven former employees told Torre that Leonard never carried out the marketing duties described in the contract, and one produced paperwork showing a scheduled $7 million payment over four years for services that never materialized.
Those details have raised questions inside the league office about possible salary-cap circumvention. In similar cases, the NBA has handed down stiff penalties; the Minnesota Timberwolves lost first-round draft picks, paid multi-million-dollar fines and saw their owner suspended after an off-the-books agreement with forward Joe Smith came to light in 2000.
The Clippers rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false,” the team said in a statement to Torre.
Aspiration filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this year and listed a $7 million debt to Leonard’s KL2 Aspire LLC among its liabilities. If Commissioner Adam Silver’s office determines the endorsement constituted an illegal workaround of league payroll rules, the organization could face fines, draft penalties or other sanctions. Under Silver, the NBA has generally levied lighter discipline—often a second-round pick—than the league issued under former commissioner David Stern, but the severity of the allegations could prompt a tougher response.
No timetable has been announced for a decision on whether the NBA will initiate a formal investigation.
Source: Hoops Wire
