Toronto-based writer likely yelling on Twitter about the Leafs, Raptors, or *gestures generally at society*.

<p>More details have emerged on an alleged salary cap circumvention fraud involving former Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard.</p>
<p>According to the self-titled podcast episode <em>Pablo Torre Finds Out</em> that dropped Wednesday from journalist Pablo Torre, <a href="https://dailyhive.com/toronto/raptors-kawhi-salary-cap-fraud-clippers" target="_blank">Leonard was receiving four years of US$7-million payments starting in 2022</a> tied to Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, via a questionable endorsement deal for sustainability non-profit Aspiration, Inc.</p>
<p>Leonard doesn’t appear to have any public endorsement of the brand, which classified the deal as a &#8220;no-show job&#8221; by Torre: essentially, all he had to do to collect the money was continue to play for the Clippers, and perhaps sign a few items of memorabilia in the process.</p>
<p>While endorsement deals with team-affiliated brands aren&#8217;t uncommon, they typically have a long list of obligations to be fulfilled in order to collect the money associated with them, such as filming commercials or posting about the brands on social media.</p>
<p>On Thursday<em>, Boston Sports Journal&#8217;</em>s John Karalis reported that Leonard had also been promised US$20 million in stock options for Aspiration, with the two deals totalling a little shy of the US$50 million investment that Ballmer had reportedly put into the company.</p>
<p>&#8220;According to a high-level source, Leonard also cut a side deal with Aspiration to receive an additional $20 million in company stock. The stock was to be paid out from [co-founder Joe] Sanberg’s personal holdings in the company over four years,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2025/09/04/exclusive-kawhi-leonard-endorsement-deal-that-triggered-nba-investigation-actually-worth-48-million" target="_blank">Karalis wrote</a>.</p>
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<p>Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg was arrested on fraud charges earlier this year in March. The company also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Leonard was named in the bankruptcy filing, via a company named KL2 Aspire LLC, a reference to Leonard’s No. 2 jersey.</p>
<p id="adUnit_-70671651-Teads_inRead_:rs:" data-google-query-id="CKy65_6zv48DFdW7pgQdMXMRpQ">The Clippers had previously had a public endorsement deal with Aspiration, and stated that Leonard had a separate deal with the company that was not in violation of NBA rules.</p>
<p data-google-query-id="CKy65_6zv48DFdW7pgQdMXMRpQ">&#8220;Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary-cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration,&#8221; the Clippers said in a statement to multiple media outlets, <a href="https://x.com/shamscharania" target="_blank">including ESPN&#8217;s Shams Charania</a>. &#8220;Any contrary assertion is provably false: The team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago, during the 2022-23 season, when Aspiration defaulted on its obligations. Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government instituted its investigation.&#8221;</p>
<p data-google-query-id="CKy65_6zv48DFdW7pgQdMXMRpQ">Leonard <a href="https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/kawhi-leonard-leaves-raptors-signs-la-clippers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left the Raptors as a free agent for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019</a>, after just one season in Toronto. While some were quick to tie the alleged shady deal — or deals — to the reason why he may have left the Raptors, it appears that the issues began with his second contract with the team, which started in 2022.</p>
<p data-google-query-id="CKy65_6zv48DFdW7pgQdMXMRpQ">While we don&#8217;t know exactly how this story will play out, don&#8217;t expect it to escape the news cycle anytime soon.</p>
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<ul class="article-see-also"><strong>You might also like:</strong><li><a href='https://dailyhive.com/toronto/raptors-kawhi-salary-cap-fraud-clippers' target='_blank'>Report alleges ex-Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard part of multimillion-dollar salary cap fraud</a></li></ul>


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More details have emerged on an alleged salary cap circumvention fraud involving former Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard.