Kawhi Leonard's Reported Revenue From Controversial Deal Raises Flags

The LA Clippers star's deal with Aspiration continues to raise some eyebrows

Nov 30, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Of course, Kawhi Leonard's shady deal with Aspiration is no longer a secret, and the discussion has now turned to what punishment the NBA could hand the LA Clippers if any of this is deemed illegal. However, during this investigation by the NBA, fans continue to be baffled by the whole situation.

Kawhi Leonard signed a deal with Aspiration, a now-proven fraudulent company, to get paid $28 million over four years. Sure, this could simply be a very expensive endorsement deal, but there are two glaring problems. One, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is a lead investor in the company, and two, Leonard never actually endorsed them, or even recognized Aspiration in the slightest.

Steve Ballmer:

"This was fraud and a bad investment and I'm embarrassed by that" pic.twitter.com/OP57g0GmBV

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) September 5, 2025

So, this entire "no-show job" that Leonard had with a team sponsor has raised eyebrows from everyone in the media and most fans, but there are some more interesting things about the deal that make it even more fishy.

Leonard was paid more than who?

Pablo Torre recently joined The Athletic NBA Daily podcast to talk more about this whole situation, and brought up a few celebrities that Leonard were paid more than to "endorse" Aspiration.

"One of the funniest parts about this whole thing is that you had Leonardo DiCaprio, you had Robert Downey Jr., you had Drake, some of the most charismatic communicators in public, in our country. And the guy making four times as much as everybody, including Sydney Crawford, Orlando Bloom, as well, was the worst of all the athletes in that regard," Torre said. "Also, with no deliverables, and also he didn't do anything."

After the entire situation caught the public's eye, Ballmer took to an ESPN interview to defend himself. Of course, he was saying that he does not know why Aspiration would give Leonard $28 million to not do anything, but that becomes far more fishy when looking at the list of celebrities they were paying less than that to actually endorse them.

Of course, the whole situation has raised plenty of red flags, but it seems like it will be hard for Ballmer and the Clippers to get out of this one scratch-free.

What would the Clippers' punishment be?

If the Clippers are found guilty of wrongdoing by the NBA's investigation, there are a handful of potential punishments that the franchise could face. Of course, one of the most league-shaking punishments would be if Leonard's contract were voided.

Voiding Kawhi Leonards contract with the Clippers is on the table, per @sam_amick

“If they can prove that Kawhi was incentivized to not only stay, but to sign team-friendly deals that gave them more flexibility” pic.twitter.com/UwsN5ks6Ah

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) September 7, 2025

Other punishments could include a hefty fine, forfeiture of draft picks, or a suspension for anyone involved. It seems unlikely that the Clippers could face any punishments that harsh, but time will tell how much dirt the NBA finds on the troubled organization.