Kawhi Leonard Linked to $28 Million ‘No‑Show’ Deal in New Report as Clippers Deny Misconduct

Pablo Torre published contract excerpts and bankruptcy records indicating Leonard’s LLC, KL2 Aspire, had a four‑year, $28 million agreement with Aspiration, which now lists KL2 as a $7 million creditor. The reported contract allowed KL2 to decline any marketing duties and conditioned payments on Leonard remaining a Clipper, with no public promotion by Leonard found. Sportico reports Aspiration received $50 million in funding from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and was a partner on the Intuit Dome project; the company filed for bankruptcy after its founder Joseph Sanberg pled guilty to fraud. A former Aspiration finance employee told Torre the arrangement was to circumvent the salary cap, and multiple outlets report payments were routed to Leonard’s advisor Dennis Robertson. The Clippers called the allegations “provably false,” the NBA has not commented on reopening its 2019 inquiry, and CBA rules suggest potential fines and draft‑pick losses if a cap‑circumvention finding is made.

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