Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard finally addressed the cap circumvention allegations during media day on Monday. Leonard claimed he isn’t the type to pay too much attention to conspiracy theories when asked about his approach to tackling this distraction in the lead-up to training camp.
“It’s easy for me,” Leonard said. “I mean, I don’t read headlines or do conspiracy theories or anything like that. It’s about the season and what we’ve got ahead of us right now.”
It has been alleged that the Clippers attempted to circumvent the salary cap by paying Leonard via Aspiration, a now bankrupt environmental company. Aspiration and Leonard had agreed on a four-year $28 million endorsement deal that kicked in from April 2022, months after team owner Steve Ballmer had invested $50 million in the company in September 2021.
That deal between Leonard and Aspiration has been termed a no-show endorsement deal, and he also reportedly received $20 million in company stock. That brings the total amount close to Ballmer’s initial investment. The NBA is investigating the matter, and Leonard made it clear that he and the Clippers have not done anything wrong.
“The NBA is going to do their job,” Leonard stated. “None of us did no wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”
Leonard was later asked if he fully understood the contract he signed with Aspiration and the services he was to provide. The 34-year-old stated that he did and added that the claims that he provided no services are inaccurate.
Aspiration would file for bankruptcy in March 2025, and Leonard was listed as a creditor through KL2 Aspire LLC. The six-time All-Star stated he has not been paid the full amount he is due.
“No, but the company went belly up,” Leonard said. “It was fraud as everybody know. If you want any more questions or more details about that company, you can either ask the owner or whoever else is involved in the fraud that went on.”
Leonard also claimed he is owed more than the reported $7 million amount. He doesn’t recollect exactly how much he made from Aspiration, though, as all this happened a couple of years ago.
While the Clippers and Leonard have firmly denied these allegations, there continues to be a fair bit of smoke here. All of this is certainly an unwanted distraction that could impact a Clippers team that has hopes of competing for the championship. Leonard, though, thinks the group will cope with it just fine.
“I think it’s easy for us,” Leonard said. “It’s nothing to hide. There’s no wrongdoing there. So, we’re just going to keep going as any other season. My name might pop up, but it is what it is. I’ve been through times like this before, just going through the year last year with going through the fire.
“As soon as I came back that first game, my house and my community caught on fire,” Leonard added. “So, I don’t think it’s going to be harder than that.”
The Clippers were the fifth seed in the West in 2024-25 with a 50-32 record, and Leonard averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in the campaign. He was finally healthy for a playoff run for the first time in years, as well, but was unable to prevent the Clippers from losing in the first round to the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers have responded to that early exit by reinforcing their roster by bringing in the likes of Bradley Beal and John Collins in the offseason. They are desperate to win that elusive NBA championship and are counting on Leonard to lead them to glory.
