Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto is stuck in neutral—and the NBA’s investigation is reportedly getting bigger. What began as a probe into an alleged no-show endorsement deal between Leonard and the now-defunct Aspiration Partners has expanded to include additional expenses the Los Angeles Clippers may have covered for the star, as well as a possible second endorsement agreement that was never disclosed.
According to CBS News, NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the delay following the league’s Board of Governors meetings in Las Vegas and made clear the matter cannot drag on indefinitely.
“I would say this can be wrapped up—and needs to be wrapped up—before next season,” Silver said.
The league-hired law firm Wachtell Lipton is examining whether the Clippers paid expenses on Leonard’s behalf without being reimbursed. Investigators are also looking into whether Kawhi Leonard had another undisclosed sponsorship arrangement with a separate company, broadening the case beyond the original Aspiration allegations.
The first deal under review reportedly paid Leonard $28 million and required little or no promotional work, raising questions about whether Clippers owner Steve Ballmer used the arrangement to provide money outside Leonard’s NBA contract. Ballmer invested $60 million in Aspiration but has denied participating in any salary-cap circumvention scheme.
New details also suggest Aspiration explored a public campaign built around Leonard’s interest in comics. The concept reportedly presented him as a tree-like character similar to Marvel’s Groot, tying the partnership to the company’s carbon-offset business. The campaign was scrapped before launch, with one former employee claiming workers were eventually told to “stop thinking about Kawhi, this feels like a dead end.”
The Clippers have maintained their innocence and said they have cooperated fully with the league’s investigation.
“While the process has been challenging, we have remained committed to transparency,” the team said, adding that it participated in dozens of interviews and turned over tens of thousands of documents.
The delay has placed Toronto in an uncomfortable position. The Raptors agreed in principle to reacquire Leonard, who led the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2019, but the league informed the team that it could inherit any penalties tied to his contract. Toronto responded by putting the deal on hold rather than assuming that risk.
The Clippers still “expect the trade to be finalized” once the investigation ends.
