A fresh wrinkle has emerged in the Kawhi Leonard saga. The deal he signed with Aspiration is once again under the spotlight. With the latest revelations, the case is even more tangled for both Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers. There were widespread speculations that Leonard would face disciplinary action, potentially a suspension. But he suited up in the 2025 preseason. But instead he was seen suited up to play in the preseason games. The new details are here just when the regular season is about to start.

According to a deep-dive by the Wall Street Journal, Leonard’s endorsement contract with Aspiration, was signed while the company was already facing serious financial strain. This deal included autograph signings, meet-and-greets, community-service events and an eight-hour shoot/web-series depicting his carbon-footprint reduction work. But it all fell apart. By the time his second payment was required, Aspiration had cancelled ad-campaigns and left bills unpaid.

Since the initial cap-circumvention scandal surfaced in September, the WSJ’s investigation has peeled back layers of the deal. Essentially revealing that the Clippers might have made the approach to Aspiration.

But the Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had denied any wrongdoing, when he first appeared on ESPN earlier this fall. He even rejected claims that he arranged a “no-show” endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration. The company is now-bankrupt. Ballmer told SportsCenter’s Ramona Shelburne that Aspiration initiated the partnership, “At that time, we hadn’t introduced Kawhi to Aspiration. We were done with Kawhi. We were done with Aspiration. Then they did ask to be introduced to Kawhi… Under the rules, we can introduce our sponsors to our athletes. We just can’t be involved.”

However, The Wall Street Journal’s Sunday investigation completely contradicts his claims. Reporters Robert O’Connell and Harriet Ryan revealed under the subhead “Unusual deal” that in December 2021, Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg told a senior executive that “the Clippers had approached him about doing a deal with Leonard, their injured star,” emphasizing, “This is important to the Clippers.” The Journal also cited internal disputes within Aspiration over the commitment of a reported $48 million to Leonard, with one executive lamenting, “You can’t just commit to a $48 million spend without talking to people in the company,” while another questioned, “Kawhi is a regional star. He doesn’t have the charisma of a Steph Curry or LeBron [James].”

Interestingly though, Pablo Torre, the investigative journalist, whose early-September reporting on first detailed the alleged funneling of money only received brief mention in the Journal’s article. It was his coverage that brought attention to the deal and drove the narrative for weeks. Torre reported that Leonard received a four-year, $48 million deal from Aspiration but completed virtually no promotional work in return, a claim now echoed in the WSJ’s findings.

The NBA’s ongoing investigation — handled by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the New York-based law firm — stems from Aspiration’s March 2025 bankruptcy, in which Ballmer’s $50 million funding stake was revealed. If the league determines the Clippers used the partnership to skirt salary-cap rules, potential penalties could include hefty fines, lost draft picks, or even the voiding of Leonard’s contract — a decision that would send shockwaves through Los Angeles and the NBA at large.

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Kawhi Leonard’s readiness & what lies ahead

We have rarely seen him talk on the controversy but when he did, he simply denied, “No. The NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”

The Clippers standout is showing positive signs ahead of the regular season. He logged 17 points in 19 minutes during the preseason game versus the Denver Nuggets. He stressed that he was entering camp “healthy, in shape and ready to go.” In another outing, he posted 15 points, against the Sacramento Kings. But will he play in the regular season?

Yes, if Leonard remains healthy and engaged from day one. In the 2024-25 regular-season he averaged 21.5 points, it showed he can still deliver at a high level. But with the focus once again on him and the Clippers, pressure seem to be mounting.