Kawhi Leonard chose Los Angeles Clippers over Los Angeles Lakers to dodge LeBron James and $28M payout

In the summer of 2019, Kawhi Leonard was at the top of the NBA world. After guiding the Toronto Raptors to their first championship, the calm superstar entered free agency as the most sought-after player available. His choice would change the league's dynamics, balancing local loyalty with championship dreams and personal desires.

In the end, Leonard chose the Los Angeles Clippers instead of the Los Angeles Lakers or a possible comeback with the Raptors.

Why Kawhi Leonard Dodged the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James

From the beginning, the Lakers were considered a long shot, despite their flashy reputation and the addition of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In 2019, various reports mentioned that Leonard had no desire to play with James, thinking it could lead to a clash of egos or styles.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, then with Yahoo Sports, Leonard's camp explicitly avoided the Lakers because he "didn't want to play with LeBron," preferring to be the unquestioned leader. This sentiment was echoed in later reflections; for instance, in a 2024 Fadeaway World report, it was noted that Leonard rejected the chance to form a superteam with James and Davis, opting instead for Paul George as a partner.


A faceless NBA executive mentioned to Newsweek in September 2025 that the Lakers "dodged a bullet" by not acquiring Leonard, highlighting his injury record and the unfolding scandal. At that moment, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was chasing Leonard hard, but the forward's dislike for sharing the spotlight with James who he had just triumphed over in the Finals with the Warriors sealed the deal. Leonard's decision favored freedom over joining a dominant team.

The Los Angeles Clippers initially labeled the allegations as provably false before changing their language to absurd

Jump ahead to 2021-2022, and things get a bit dicey with Leonard's agreement with Aspiration, a climate finance company. As Pablo Torre first mentioned on his podcast "Pablo Torre Finds Out" back in September 2025, Aspiration committed to shelling out $7 million each year for four years beginning in April 2022, specifically for no services provided.

The contract, found among more than 3,000 pages of documents, had a clause that let Leonard off the hook from any work. Torre also verified, through the Boston Sports Journal, that Leonard got $20 million in company shares now completely worthless after Aspiration went bankrupt.

In August 2021, Leonard signed an extension with the Clippers; then in September 2021, Ballmer put $50 million into Aspiration; that same month, the Clippers announced Aspiration as a sponsor; Leonard's LLC got registered in November 2021; and the payouts kicked off in 2022. An unnamed Aspiration employee told Torre this was a "scheme to skirt the NBA salary cap." The deal was never publicized, unlike endorsements with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio or Drake, who received far less.

In a September 2025 interview with Ramona Shelburne for ESPN, Ballmer refuted claims of cap violations, saying he was "conned" by Aspiration and had no say in their deal with Leonard. He acknowledged that he introduced Aspiration to Leonard at their request but maintained that the Clippers followed the rules. Initially, the Clippers labeled the allegations as "provably false," but later they toned it down to "absurd."

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So far, Leonard and Robertson have kept quiet. If this scandal is confirmed, it could overshadow earlier cases like the 1998 Joe Smith-Timberwolves trade, which led to penalties and lost draft picks. At this moment, it puts a negative spin on Leonard's choice to go with the Clippers avoiding LeBron, securing George, and reportedly receiving a $28 million side deal that Toronto ethically declined.


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