NBA Investigates Clippers' $50M No-Show Deal Linked to Kawhi Leonard, Raptors Reject Similar 2019 Request

Kawhi Leonard is at the center of a major NBA salary cap circumvention scandal involving an alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration Inc., a company that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $50 million in. Reports reveal Leonard was set to receive roughly $48 million from Aspiration for minimal work, coinciding with his 2021 contract extension with the Clippers. The NBA is investigating the matter, with Ballmer denying any wrongdoing and claiming the deal was separate from his investment. New revelations from Toronto indicate that Leonard's camp, led by his uncle Dennis Robertson, sought a similar no-show sponsorship deal and ownership stakes in MLSE assets, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, during the 2019 free agency period before Leonard signed with the Clippers. The Raptors rejected these demands, which reportedly included a $10 million no-show endorsement with no promotional obligations. These developments have deepened the controversy and suggest a broader pattern of cap circumvention attempts linked to Leonard's free agency negotiations.