Kawhi Leonard’s representation asked for a number of things — including a stake in an NHL team — during free agency negotiations with the Raptors in 2019 that exceeded what teams are able to offer, a new report revealed.
The Toronto Star reported Tuesday that Leonard’s uncle and manager Dennis Robertson was involved in negotiations, asked for an ownership stake in the Maple Leafs — also a property of the Raptors’ parent company MLSE — as a no-show endorsement.
The new report comes as the NBA is investigating whether Clippers owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap through a “no-show” endorsement deal for Leonard with a Clippers sponsor, environmental startup Aspiration.
The alleged malfeasance came to light after a lengthy investigation by journalist Pablo Torre on his podcast.
Ballmer denied any wrongdoing in an interview on ESPN last week.
The Toronto Star report indicated that Robertson also asked for ownership stakes in outside companies with which MLSE had relationships, while also calling on the Raptors to match at least $10 million per year in additional sponsorship income.
A source also told The Star that Leonard’s camp told the Raptors, “we don’t want to do anything” in terms of sponsorship commitments. Robertson reiterated the point after the Raptors said deals would require appearances or advertising shoots.
Torre reported last week that Leonard inked a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration — a Clippers sponsor and one that Ballmer had invested $50 million in after Leonard signed an extension in August 2021 — that required him to do nothing in terms of promotion or endorsements.
Joe Sanberg, an Aspiration co-founder, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud for defrauding investors and lenders of more than $248 million, the Justice Department announced in August.
The Boston Sports Journal reported last week that Leonard had a second agreement with Aspiration, which was described as a “side deal” to get an extra $20 million in company stock from Sandberg’s personal holdings.
The NBA hired the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct an investigation into the allegations surrounding Leonard and the Clippers.