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NBA Probes Kawhi Leonard's $48M Endorsement Deal Circumvention

10/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The NBA is investigating potential salary cap circumvention related to Kawhi Leonard, the NBA star, and his endorsement deal with Aspiration, led by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, with reports that the Clippers approached Aspiration.
The probe could take months.
The $48 million endorsement deal drew scrutiny due to limited promotional work.
Penalties could include fines or loss of draft picks for the Clippers.
Steve Ballmer, Clippers owner, denies wrongdoing.

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Story summary

The NBA is investigating potential salary cap circumvention related to Kawhi Leonard, the NBA star, and his endorsement deal with Aspiration, led by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, with reports that the Clippers approached Aspiration.
The probe could take months.
The $48 million endorsement deal drew scrutiny due to limited promotional work.
Penalties could include fines or loss of draft picks for the Clippers.
Steve Ballmer, Clippers owner, denies wrongdoing.