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Report: Kawhi Leonard contract demands went well beyond max deal

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 3:53 PM ET

Kawhi Leonard’s ongoing situation with the Clippers continues to peel back layers.

What started with Pablo Torre’s reporting on the Aspiration scandal — where the Clippers are accused of funneling money through a defunct bank to pay Leonard — has now widened into a look at what Leonard’s camp was asking for in contract talks.

Per The Athletic, Leonard’s agent Mitch Robertson didn’t just want a max deal. He asked for unlimited access to a private plane, a house, guaranteed endorsement income, and even an ownership stake in the team.

The latter echoed what the Lakers gave Magic Johnson 25 years ago after HIV forced him into retirement.

The problem? Every one of those asks falls under salary-cap circumvention. The Lakers, who were also approached, told Robertson that flat-out. Jeanie Buss even joked he should “try to get it in writing” from another team. Behind the scenes, executives laughed at the audacity, according to the report.

Still, Robertson kept pushing, bringing the same requests back to the table multiple times. Seventeen different sources — team officials, agents, and league personnel — told The Athletic this was par for the course during Leonard negotiations.

It all circles back to the same point: Leonard’s quiet demeanor on the court masks how messy things have gotten off of it. The NBA’s investigation into the Clippers isn’t slowing down, and Leonard’s contract asks are now part of that wider probe.