NBA Investigating Kawhi Leonard's $28 Million Deal: Clippers Accused of Salary Cap Circumvention!

2025-09-04 06:00:33.377

The NBA announced it will investigate a $28 million endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser, LLC, to determine if it allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to circumvent league salary cap rules. The investigation follows a report by journalist Pablo Torre. The Clippers strongly deny any rule violations and welcome the league's investigation. The probe centers on the relationship between Leonard, the Clippers, and Aspiration, which filed for bankruptcy this year. Aspiration listed the Clippers (owed about $30 million) and KL2 Aspire LLC (owed $7 million, a company Leonard manages) as creditors. Emails to Leonard's representatives for comment were not immediately returned. NBA spokesman Mike Bass confirmed the investigation. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration, and the team had a $300 million partnership with the company, which ended after two years due to contract default. The Clippers maintain that neither they nor Ballmer circumvented the salary cap, stating that Ballmer's investment was based on Aspiration's claims. Aspiration's co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, defrauding investors and lenders of $248 million. Torre's report revealed Leonard's $28 million, four-year endorsement deal with Aspiration, with $7 million still owed at the time of bankruptcy. There's no evidence of public endorsements by Leonard. The Clippers stated that team sponsors frequently have endorsement deals with players and that they had no oversight of Leonard's deal. The NBA could impose penalties if cap rules were broken, including fines, voided contracts, and forfeited draft picks.