The NBA is investigating the Los Angeles Clippers for potential salary-cap violations related to Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement contract with former team sponsor Aspiration. The investigation focuses on Leonard’s deal being drastically different from typical NBA player-sponsor arrangements, according to The Athletic’s examination of league-wide relationships.
The Athletic contacted over 50 companies with NBA jersey sponsorships, with only 20 responding. Of those, just five acknowledged separate endorsement deals with players from sponsored teams. All documented deals involved visible promotional work like commercials, documentaries, or public appearances.
Leonard’s $28 million contract with Aspiration differs significantly from standard NBA player endorsements in both value and visible output. No evidence has surfaced showing Leonard performed any promotional work despite the massive financial commitment.
Documented player-sponsor partnerships show clear promotional activities. Jayson Tatum appears in Amica Mutual Insurance commercials for the Boston Celtics’ sponsor. Stephen Curry’s relationship with Golden State Warriors’ sponsor Rakuten includes commercials, documentaries, and community projects promoting young designers.
Cooper Flagg signed with Dallas Mavericks’ sponsor Chime before the 2025 draft, appearing on the company’s YouTube series. Jrue Holiday had a deal with Milwaukee Bucks’ sponsor Motorola that included television commercials. All partnerships demonstrate obvious promotional value for the sponsoring companies.
“There’s too much fire here, it’s not just smoke,” said a second NBA player agent. “Seven million (annually) for a no-show deal is ridiculous.”
“An outlandish number,” said another player agent. “Typically those deals are for somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million, depending on the size of the company, the market, etc. And you can almost always see their work.”
Industry sources describe Leonard’s deal as unprecedented in scope and structure. Most NBA player-sponsor endorsements range between $500,000 and $1 million annually, according to multiple player agents interviewed by The Athletic.
NBA collective bargaining rules prohibit teams from using business partners to circumvent salary caps if player contracts exceed “fair market value of any services to be rendered.”
The league continues investigating whether the Clippers violated salary cap regulations through the unusual Aspiration arrangement.
The Athletic could not find another financial relationship between a team and a chief sponsor in which ownership also invested millions to the sponsor.