The Kawhi Leonard–Aspiration saga keeps taking new turns, and one of the more fascinating patterns to emerge centers on Leonard’s playing time in the 2022-23 season.
According to Pablo Torre’s reporting, Leonard’s endorsement contract with the failed environmental firm Aspiration guaranteed him $7 million a year in quarterly payments of $1.75 million.
But Aspiration was struggling financially, delaying one of those scheduled payments until December 15, 2022. That same day, the company laid off 20 percent of its staff, yet Leonard’s money cleared. What’s curious is the timing when compared to Leonard’s availability on the court.
In the weeks leading up to the payment, Leonard barely played. He suited up for just 2 of the Clippers’ first 15 games, missing time with lingering injury issues. His status was often listed as “day-to-day,” with the team offering vague explanations that only fueled speculation.
He was pulled from a game against Memphis midway through without clarity, leaving head coach Tyronn Lue visibly confused on the sidelines. Another time, he was scratched with a “facial contusion” but wore no mask in his return and showed no evidence of a significant blow.
After the $1.75 million hit Leonard’s account, the story changed dramatically. He went on to play in 50 of the Clippers’ next 67 games, a stretch of health and consistency that, by his standards, was unusually reliable. For a player known for his carefully managed load management schedule and a lengthy history of injuries, the contrast before and after the payment stands out.
To be clear, nobody can say definitively that Leonard sat out on purpose, or that his availability was tied in any way to the Aspiration payment. Injuries are real, and Leonard’s health battles are well-documented, going back to his quad and knee issues in San Antonio and Toronto.
But the optics here are striking. Before December 15, Kawhi was hardly on the floor. After December 15, he was suddenly dependable, logging heavy minutes and giving the Clippers the version of their superstar they had been missing.
Layering in the other details Torre has surfaced, and the picture gets murkier. Leonard’s uncle and business manager, Dennis Robertson, often referred to as “Uncle Dennis,” was reportedly furious that Aspiration missed the payment deadline.
Then, just days before the $1.75 million finally went out, Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong wired nearly $2 million into Aspiration, a company that at the time was “in default” and hemorrhaging money. Within a week, Leonard was paid in full.
That’s why people are raising eyebrows. The payment itself was part of a broader $28 million endorsement deal that, by most accounts, required Leonard to do little to no work. Critics are labeling it a “no-show payment.” And when you pair that deal with his sudden jump in availability, the narrative almost writes itself: the Clippers, through back channels, found a way to ensure their star suited up.
The NBA is now investigating whether this arrangement constituted salary-cap circumvention. If the league determines the Aspiration money functioned as unofficial team compensation, the Clippers could face fines, the loss of draft picks, or even the voiding of Leonard’s contract.
For now, the numbers speak loudly. Before December 15, Kawhi was a ghost, playing 2 of 15 games. After December 15, he looked like the reliable cornerstone the Clippers thought they signed. Whether coincidence or something more, the timeline has become one of the most intriguing threads in this ongoing scandal.
