Kawhi Leonard Traded To Golden State Warriors After $28 Million Fraud Scheme With The Clippers

According to journalist Pablo Torre’s investigation, Kawhi Leonard allegedly received a $28 million endorsement deal through his LLC, KL2 Aspire, with Aspiration—a now-bankrupt sustainability company partly funded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Under the terms of the contract, Leonard was paid annually from 2022 through 2025, even though there is no evidence he ever performed any public promotional work for Aspiration.

 Aspiration’s bankruptcy filings list KL2 Aspire among its creditors, carrying a debt of $7 million.  The deal also reportedly included a termination clause: if Leonard left the Clippers or retired, the contract could be voided. Former employees of Aspiration have claimed that this arrangement was designed to circumvent NBA salary cap rules.

In response, Steve Ballmer and the Clippers have strongly denied wrongdoing. Ballmer has said he had no control over the deal’s terms, claimed he was defrauded by Aspiration, and maintained that neither he nor the organization intended to break salary cap rules. The NBA has formally opened an investigation into the matter.