Report Alleges Clippers Used Aspiration ‘No‑Show’ Endorsement to Circumvent Cap for Kawhi Leonard

Pablo Torre published documents and interviews alleging an endorsement arrangement routed through Aspiration paid Leonard $28 million despite no public marketing activity. Bankruptcy filings list KL2 Aspire LLC, managed by Leonard, as a creditor owed $7 million, and a contract excerpt cites $7 million per year over four years. Seven former Aspiration employees spoke to Torre, including a finance staffer who said the deal was widely understood as a no‑show intended to bypass salary‑cap rules. Aspiration, a tree‑planting finance company backed with a reported $50 million investment from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The Clippers issued a statement calling the allegations provably false, and while a separate 2019 NBA inquiry found no improper benefits, potential penalties for proven cap circumvention are severe, as seen in the Timberwolves’ Joe Smith case.

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