During Kawhi Leonard’s 2019 free agency, his uncle Dennis Robertson made demands to the Toronto Raptors that line up almost perfectly with the terms of the star player’s endorsement deal with Aspiration, sources tell Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star. Robertson reportedly requested that the Raptors trade for Paul George plus give them an ownership stake in the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Robertson also asked the Raptors for ownership stakes in outside companies associated with MLSE. The Raptors were also told they needed to match at least $10 million per year in additional sonship income. NBA teams are allowed to introduce players to team sponsors, but collective bargaining agreement rules prohibit them to negotiate those deals.
It was also communicated that Leonard didn’t “want to do anything” as part of the endorsement deal.
MLSE realized that Leonard’s camp wasn’t asking for traditional sponsorship introductions, but no-show jobs instead. MLSE rejected those proposals.
Leonard’s $7 million per year deal with Aspiration began in April 2022, which was a few months after he signed a contract extension with the Clippers. Both Steve Ballmer and the Clippers have denied any involvement in the deal beyond the initial introduction.