Latest on Kawhi Leonard, Clippers investigation

The Kawhi Leonard and Clippers saga continues to unravel, and this time the Raptors’ role is back in the spotlight.

Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star reports that when Toronto was trying to re-sign Leonard during 2019 free agency, his camp — led by uncle and adviser Dennis Robertson — asked for $10 million per year in extra sponsorship income.

The Raptors were told Leonard wouldn’t want to actually do anything for that money, such as film commercials or make promotional appearances.

“That’s when the Raptors realized Leonard wasn’t asking to be introduced to Toronto’s lucrative corporate community,” Arthur wrote. “They were being asked to arrange no-show jobs, and arrange no-investment investments. (They) rejected both proposals.”

Arthur previously reported Leonard’s camp even asked for a stake in the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, who share ownership with the Raptors.

Fast forward to today. Leonard and the Clippers are under NBA investigation over his endorsement deal with Aspiration, a company that has since gone bankrupt. Leonard’s arrangement reportedly paid him $28 million in cash and another $20 million in stock, without any contractual requirement to perform services.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer also invested $50 million into the company, raising questions about whether the deal was really a way to funnel money to Leonard outside the salary cap.

Some around the league have drawn stark comparisons. On NBA Today, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said one Clippers source likened tampering to a “speeding ticket,” but called salary cap circumvention a “murder charge.”

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne added that Aspiration once offered nearly double the $550 million Intuit eventually paid for the Clippers’ arena naming rights, an indication of just how much cash the startup was throwing around.

And Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has outlined possible outcomes, from no wrongdoing at all to a Joe Smith-style punishment. Back in 2000, the Timberwolves lost multiple first-round picks, were fined $3.5 million, and saw Smith’s contract voided after the league discovered an illegal side agreement.

The Clippers, meanwhile, have said they welcome the investigation.