Latest Details Emerge in Kawhi Leonard, Clippers Endorsement Probe
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The NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers has resurfaced earlier demands made by the forward’s camp during 2019 free agency, according to a Toronto Star report cited by multiple outlets.
Journalist Bruce Arthur wrote that Leonard’s advisor and uncle, Dennis Robertson, asked the Toronto Raptors for an additional $10 million per year in sponsorship income while the team tried to keep Leonard after its championship run. Robertson reportedly told the Raptors that Leonard would not film commercials or make promotional appearances in exchange for the money. The club declined, viewing the request as a “no-show” arrangement, Arthur reported. Leonard’s representatives also sought a stake in the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, who share ownership with the Raptors, a proposal that was likewise rejected.
Four years later, the Clippers are under league scrutiny for Leonard’s endorsement agreement with Aspiration, a financial-services startup that has since filed for bankruptcy. The deal allegedly paid Leonard $28 million in cash and $20 million in stock without requiring any promotional work. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer separately invested $50 million in Aspiration, prompting questions about whether the endorsement served as a vehicle to steer additional funds to Leonard outside the NBA salary cap.
Inside the league, the situation is being compared to one of the NBA’s most serious historical cap violations. On ESPN’s “NBA Today,” reporter Dave McMenamin said a Clippers source likened routine tampering to “a speeding ticket” and cap circumvention to “a murder charge.” Ramona Shelburne added that Aspiration had once offered nearly twice the $550 million that software company Intuit ultimately paid for naming rights to the Clippers’ new arena, underscoring the startup’s aggressive spending.
Potential penalties range from no action to a sanction similar to the 2000 ruling against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who lost several first-round draft picks, were fined $3.5 million, and saw Joe Smith’s contract voided after the league uncovered an illegal side agreement.
The Clippers have said they are cooperating fully and “welcome” the NBA’s review.
Source: Hoops Wire
