Kawhi Leonard and his 2019 free agency has suddenly become relevant again as the NBA continues to deal with allegations surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers and potential salary-cap circumvention.
Before Leonard ultimately chose the Clippers, the Lakers were firmly in the race to sign him following his championship run with the Toronto Raptors.
But Leonard’s camp reportedly made several extraordinary requests during negotiations with the Lakers, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Leonard’s uncle and business representative, Dennis Robertson, reportedly asked Lakers governor Jeanie Buss for part ownership of the franchise, access to a private plane at all times, a house and a guaranteed amount of endorsement money if Leonard signed with the team.
The Lakers rejected the requests because they would have violated the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to Amick.
Leonard eventually went across town instead, signing a three-year, $103.1 million contract with the Clippers.
Those old negotiations have resurfaced as Leonard and the Clippers face fresh scrutiny over alleged outside payments.
Investigative journalist Pablo Torre recently reported that Leonard had a multimillion-dollar sponsorship agreement with Daktronics, the company the Clippers commissioned to build the Intuit Dome’s massive Halo Board.
The Clippers reportedly paid Daktronics approximately $100 million for its work on the arena, while the details surrounding how much Leonard allegedly received through his separate agreement remain unclear.
It comes after Torre previously reported that Leonard had a four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration, which he characterized as a “no-show” deal.
The allegations have raised questions over whether outside agreements were used to provide Leonard with additional compensation beyond his NBA contract and circumvent the league’s salary-cap rules.
No final determination has been announced by the NBA regarding the allegations.
Commissioner Adam Silver previously indicated that a resolution to the league’s investigation was expected during the summer.
Leonard’s reported requests from 2019 don’t establish wrongdoing in the current case, but their resurfacing adds another layer to a situation that has placed his financial arrangements with companies connected to the Clippers under increased scrutiny.
READ MORE: Jaylen Brown Opens Up on ‘Crazy Transition’ After Move to 76ers