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.