As the NBA investigates explosive allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard engaged in a $28 million “no-show job” endorsement deal to circumvent the salary cap, a familiar chapter from the franchise’s history has resurfaced; one that paints a troubling pattern.
Back in 2015, the Clippers were fined $250,000 by the NBA for violating anti-circumvention rules during their recruitment of free agent DeAndre Jordan. The violation stemmed from the team offering Jordan a third-party endorsement deal with Lexus worth approximately $200,000 annually, an arrangement not permitted under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
While the NBA concluded that the offer didn’t directly influence Jordan’s decision to re-sign with the Clippers, the league still imposed the fine, stating that the team’s conduct “nevertheless violated the league’s anti-circumvention rules”.
Fast forward to 2025, and the Clippers are once again under the microscope. According to journalist Pablo Torre, Leonard allegedly signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration Inc., a now-bankrupt tree-planting company secretly funded by $50 million from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. The deal reportedly included a clause that would terminate the agreement if Leonard left the Clippers, raising red flags about its legitimacy and potential use as a salary supplement.
Documents obtained by Torre suggest Leonard’s company, KL2 Aspire LLC, was paid for marketing services he never performed. Former Aspiration employees described the arrangement as a “no-show job,” with one insider claiming the deal was designed “to circumvent the salary cap”.
The parallels between the Jordan and Leonard cases are hard to ignore. In both instances, the Clippers allegedly dangled off-court financial incentives to secure or retain star talent. While the 2015 incident resulted in a fine and no further sanctions, the stakes in the Leonard case are significantly higher. If the NBA finds evidence of deliberate cap circumvention, the franchise could face severe penalties, including voided contracts, forfeited draft picks, and multi-million dollar fines.
The precedent was set in 1999 when the Minnesota Timberwolves lost five first-round picks for a secret agreement with Joe Smith. That punishment remains one of the harshest in league history and serves as a warning for what could follow if the Clippers are found guilty again.
The NBA has confirmed it is investigating the Leonard-Aspiration arrangement. The Clippers, meanwhile, have denied any wrongdoing, stating:
“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false”.
As the league digs deeper, the Clippers’ 2015 fine looms large, not just as a footnote, but as a potential indicator of systemic issues. If history is any guide, the consequences this time could be far more severe.
