Kawhi Leonard’s reported ‘no show’ endorsement deal could prompt NBA probe

The Clippers might have a problem on their hands, and it involves Kawhi Leonard and a tree-planting company that no longer exists.

As ESPN’s Pablo Torre uncovered on his Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a so-called “tree brokerage” funded with $50 million from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Torre’s reporting suggests Leonard performed no work for the company, raising the question of whether the deal amounted to a creative way around the salary cap.

If the league decides that is the case, the penalties could be steep. Remember Joe Smith and the Timberwolves back in 2000? Minnesota lost first-round picks, paid millions in fines, and had its owner suspended when the league found secret agreements outside the cap.

The Clippers are denying any wrongdoing. They told Torre in a statement: “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”

Still, the details are messy. Torre said seven former employees confirmed Leonard “didn’t have to do anything.” One even produced a document showing he was to be paid $7 million over four years for marketing work that never happened.

Aspiration filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, owing Leonard’s KL2 Aspire LLC $7 million.

What happens next is up to Adam Silver’s office. Historically, late commissioner David Stern hammered teams for cap shenanigans. Silver has been more lenient, often limiting punishments to a second-round pick. But if this is deemed cap circumvention, it is hard to imagine the league brushing it aside.

The bottom line: Leonard’s future with the Clippers is not the issue here. The bigger question is whether Ballmer’s team crossed a line that the NBA cannot ignore.