Report: Clippers, Kawhi Leonard Used Fraudulent Tree Company to Circumvent Salary Cap

Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration Inc. in 2022.

Kawhi Leonard might have some explaining to do. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers might have some explaining to do.

According to evidence obtained by Pablo Torre, which he presented in the latest episode of his Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt tree-planting company based in Los Angeles in April of 2022. The company, under the name "Aspiration, Inc." filed for bankruptcy in March of 2025 after its co-founder, Joe Sanberg, was arrested on fraud charges.

A source told Torre that the deal with Leonard was put in place to "circumvent the [NBA] salary cap," a claim that is further evidenced by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer being one of the company's financial backers.

Exclusive: Kawhi Leonard signed a $28M endorsement deal for a "no-show job" with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50M from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, according to documents obtained by @PabloTorre.

"It was to circumvent the salary cap," an inside source says. pic.twitter.com/F6z5pNEkI1

— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025

Among the list of creditors in Aspiration's bankruptcy filings is an LLC under the name "KL2 Aspire LLC", an entity that, according to the documents, is managed by Kawhi Leonard. The pact the two sides agreed to says the company will pay KL2 $7 million over each year of the Term, for a total of $28 million.

A former employee of Aspiration's financial department, speaking anonymously, told Torre that Leonard was the highest-paid marketer for the company, yet he was never required to actually endorse them.

"The single largest payment to an individual for marketing that Aspiration ever made has completely evaded all press," the source said. "... He didn't have to do anything."

Torre went on to find out that Leonard never once publicly referenced or mentioned Aspiration. Additionally, a clause in his contract states that if he left the Clippers, the deal would be terminated.

The Clippers provided the following statement to Torre:

"Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false."

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