Kawhi Leonard’s reported 2019 free-agency talks with the Los Angeles Lakers have resurfaced while an NBA investigation intensifies scrutiny of Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers and alleged financial arrangements outside his playing contract. The league has not announced any findings, but an older account involving former Lakers owner Jeanie Buss now carries new relevance.
Legion Hoops reported that Leonard and his representatives sought several prohibited incentives from Buss during the 2019 offseason. Buss reportedly told Leonard’s uncle and adviser, Dennis Robertson, that the requests violated the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, then rejected them.
Jeanie Buss Reportedly Drew the Line During Lakers Talks
The resurfaced account does not identify the incentives Leonard’s camp allegedly requested. It instead centers on how Buss responded after the demands reached the Lakers.
According to Legion Hoops, Buss immediately warned Robertson that the requests breached league rules. Her reported refusal stands apart from the allegations that now surround Leonard’s Clippers tenure, though the two situations remain separate and no investigation has accused the Lakers of wrongdoing.
Robertson also appears in the current investigation involving Leonard and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. The inquiry has already affected Leonard’s future. A planned June 30 trade that would have sent him to the Toronto Raptors later stalled because of the investigation, USA Today reports.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in mid-July that he wanted the process completed before summer ended.
“As I’ve said previously, we all have an interest in wrapping this up,” Silver said. “… I am hopeful it will wrap up this summer and that will continue to be the goal here.”
An outside law firm leads the investigation and will present its conclusions to Silver, who will determine whether the league should impose discipline.
Clippers Face New Questions Over Alleged Leonard Agreements
The NBA inquiry centers on an alleged no-show deal between Leonard and the now-defunct company Aspiration. Investigators are examining whether that agreement routed additional compensation to Leonard and circumvented the salary cap.
“Pablo Torre Finds Out” later reported that Leonard may have held another previously undisclosed arrangement with Daktronics, which built the video board for the Clippers’ Intuit Dome. The podcast cited unnamed people connected to the team and arena project.
One former Intuit Dome contractor described the alleged sponsorship as “1,000% a way to circumvent the salary cap,” claiming that money traveled from the Clippers through Daktronics to Leonard.
Daktronics referred the podcast to a crisis-management spokesperson when Torre’s team asked about an endorsement. “My understanding is Daktronics doesn’t have a deal with Kawhi right now,” the representative said.
Stephen A. Smith called for major penalties if investigators substantiate the claims, Basket News reports. During a conversation with Torre, Smith argued that the NBA should void Leonard’s contract, suspend him for one year, strip draft picks from the Clippers and bar Ballmer from attending games for a year.
“This is egregious if it’s true,” Smith said.
The Clippers have denied the central accusation. On June 23, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said he could not address details but added, “We did not do what we are accused of doing.”
Investigators have not proven the allegations. Still, Buss’ reported response in 2019 adds a notable earlier chapter to the questions now surrounding Leonard, Robertson and compensation outside an NBA contract.
Jeanie Buss’ Response to Kawhi Leonard’s Reported 2019 Lakers Demands Resurfaces