Latest On Clippers, Kawhi Leonard
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer made a second investment worth nearly $10MM in the now-bankrupt “green bank” company Aspiration, according to legal filings reviewed by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
The previously unreported investment, which occurred in March 2023 when the company was “hemorrhaging cash, laying off employees and struggling to raise funds,” was corroborated by a former Aspiration executive, Vorkunov reports.
On September 3, Pablo Torre reported on his “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast that Ballmer agreed to invest $50MM in Aspiration in September 2021 (the actual payment occurred in December 2021). Multiple sources tell Vorkunov the Clippers also made a separate $50MM+ investment in Aspiration for “carbon offsetting toward the goal of becoming carbon neutral.”
In April 2022, Kawhi Leonard signed a four-year, $28MM endorsement deal with Aspiration but there’s no evidence he ever performed any work for it.
A subsequent report from Boston Sports Journal, which was confirmed by Torre, indicated that Leonard made a separate side deal with Aspiration to receive an additional $20MM in company stock. That $20MM came directly from co-founder Joe Sanberg.
“I am personally contributing stock to Kawhi to make this partnership possible,” Sanberg wrote members of his leadership team in a May 2022 email obtained by The Athletic. “Aspiration’s CEO judged the deal to be not worth doing. For avoidance of doubt, any and all benefit to Aspiration from the Kawhi deal is being subsidized by my contributing my equity to make this happen.”
Sanberg pled guilty last month to two counts of wire fraud for defrauding investors and lenders of more than $248MM.
Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star also reported that Leonard’s camp was seeking essentially the same deal he got with Aspiration when he was a free agent in 2019.
Ballmer’s second investment in Aspiration came three months after his college roommate and the Clippers’ lone minority owner, Dennis Wong, invested approximately $2MM in the company after it failed to make a $1.75MM quarterly payment to Leonard, as reported by Torre. Leonard was paid nine days later, on the same day Aspiration laid off 20% of its workforce.
The NBA is investigating whether the Clippers and Leonard circumvented the salary cap through their deals with Aspiration.
Leonard’s contract had certain obligations he was supposed to meet but it also permitted him to refuse to do anything “not consistent with his beliefs,” according to Vorkunov. Former CEO and co-founder Andrei Cherny disputed that Leonard had a “no-show” deal,” Vorkunov adds.
However, Leonard’s contract drew “confusion and frustration” within the company, with one former top executive telling Vorkunov the deal “materialized essentially out of the ether.”
Another former Aspiration executive told Vorkunov that celebrity endorsers Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Downey Jr. both received less than $2MM in their deals.
Tom Dundon Signs Agreement To Buy Trail Blazers
Nearly a month after reaching a tentative deal to buy the Trail Blazers, prospective owner Tom Dundon has formally signed a purchase agreement, according to reports from Bill Oram of The Oregonian and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.
Oram adds that the sale, which still requires NBA approval, is expected to formally close before the end of the 2025/26 season. A prior report indicated that a target date of March 31 had been set.
Blue Owl Capital co-president Marc Zahr and co-CEO of Collective Global Sheel Tyle are among the other investors who are part of Dundon’s group, which intends to keep the team in Portland. A statement on Friday indicated that the Cherng Family Trust – the family trust of Panda Express co-founders Andrew Cherng and Peggy Tsiang Cherng – has signed on as an investor as well.
As Sportico reported in August, Dundon’s group is expected to submit two separate payments as part of its purchase — one when the sale closes and one at a later date. The “blended” valuation of the franchise via those two payments will reportedly be about $4.25 billion.
According to Oram, Dundon and his group beat out a bid from RAJ Sports and the Bhathal family, which controls the Portland Thorns in the NWSL and the Portland Fire, the WNBA expansion team that will make its debut next season.
The Trail Blazers announced their plans to sell the franchise back in May. Paul Allen, the longtime Blazers owner who purchased the franchise for $70MM in 1988, passed away on October 15, 2018, resulting in control of the team being transferred to his sister Jody Allen, the trustee and executor of his estate.
The plan following Paul Allen’s death was for ownership of the Blazers to eventually change hands as part of an estate sale, which is the process that’s playing out now. All estate proceeds as a result of the Blazers sale will be directed toward philanthropy, per the late Allen’s wishes.
Wizards’ Coulibaly Undergoes Thumb Surgery
Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly underwent surgery on Friday in order to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Coulibaly – who sustained the injury while playing for the French national team at EuroBasket 2025 – will likely miss some time at the start of the regular season.
The Wizards have formally confirmed that Coulibaly underwent thumb surgery, but didn’t provide any sort of recovery timeline, simply stating that the 21-year-old’s status will be updated as appropriate (Twitter link).
The seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft, Coulibaly was a full-time starter for the Wizards last season, averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 33.0 minutes per game across 59 outings. Although his shooting percentages slipped to 42.1% from the field and 28.1% on three-point attempts, the Frenchman has shown real promise as a two-way wing and just turned 21 in July.
Coulibaly averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per contest in six games for France at EuroBasket. The team was eliminated in the round of 16 by Georgia, with the Wizards forward going scoreless in that game.
While Coulibaly’s injury is an unfortunate setback for a player seeking a breakout year ahead of his rookie scale extension eligibility in 2026, it will open the door for some of Washington’s other young wings to make a case for playing time during training camp and the preseason. That group includes Cam Whitmore, Will Riley, AJ Johnson, Dillon Jones, and Malaki Branham.
Knicks Exploring Move To Shed Salary?
Within the past 24 hours, the Knicks have reached contract agreements with Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews, but they only have enough cap flexibility below the second tax apron to keep one of those three players on their regular season roster.
Shedding a little salary from the current roster would allow New York to retain more than one of those players for opening night, and multiple reports suggest the team is exploring that path.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) says people around the NBA expect the Knicks to make a move that would allow them to keep Brogdon and one of Shamet or Mathews. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), meanwhile, cites league sources who says the Knicks are weighing various trade scenarios to create extra cap flexibility.
While Bondy doesn’t single out a specific trade candidate, Fischer points to 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet as one player who could be moved for cap reasons. Dadiet played sparingly in 18 games during his first NBA season and will make $2.85MM in 2025/26. His rookie scale contract includes team options for the following two years.
Second-year point guard Tyler Kolek could be another player to watch, especially if the Knicks are prioritizing keeping a veteran point guard like Brogdon. Like Dadiet, Kolek had a limited role as a rookie, logging 296 total minutes in 41 outings last season. He’s owed a guaranteed $2.19MM in 2025/26 and $2.3MM in ’26/27, with a team option for ’27/28.
Moving either Dadiet or Kolek without taking any salary back would allow New York to retain two veteran minimum-salary camp invitees instead of just one. However, because neither 2024 draftee has a significant cap hit, the Knicks would still have to sign a draft-rights-held rookie as their 14th man and wouldn’t have enough room under their hard cap to add a 15th man until much later in the season.
It’s worth noting that while the gap in salaries between Dadiet and Kolek isn’t massive, it figures to be an important consideration for the Knicks’ front office as the team weighs its options — trading Kolek, retaining two veteran free agent camp invitees, and signing a 14th man to a rookie minimum would leave New York a mere $44K below its hard cap.
Knicks To Sign Malcolm Brogdon
The Knicks and free agent guard Malcolm Brogdon have reached an agreement on a one-year contract, agent Sam Permut tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
While Charania doesn’t provide any additional details on the deal, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) confirms it’s non-guaranteed, giving Brogdon the opportunity to compete with Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews for a regular season roster spot.
Due to limited flexibility below a second-apron hard cap, New York only has the ability to carry one of those minimum-salary veterans into the regular season unless the team sheds salary with a buyout or trade.
Brogdon, who will turn 33 in December, has been a reliable rotation guard since entering the NBA as a second-round pick in 2016. He won Rookie of the Year honors during his first of three seasons in Milwaukee (2016-19), spent three years with the Pacers (2019-22), then was named Sixth Man of the Year with Boston in 2023.
Brogdon was traded from the Celtics to the Trail Blazers in the Jrue Holiday blockbuster prior to the 2023/24 season and spent one year in Portland before being dealt to Washington during the 2024/25 offseason. He appeared in 24 games for the Wizards last season, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per contest.
Although he has solid career averages of 15.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.1 RPG on .463/.388/.874 shooting, Brogdon also an extensive injury history. Since seeing action in 75 games as a rookie, he has been sidelined for 249 of 637 regular season contests, appearing in more than 56 games in a season just twice in eight years. The former Virginia standout didn’t play after the All-Star break last season due to an ankle sprain.
The Knicks are currently carrying 12 players on guaranteed standard contracts. They have enough room below the second apron to carry one more player on a veteran’s minimum contract and one on a rookie minimum contract into the regular season. Both Brogdon and Shamet are expected to receive “strong” consideration for that veteran slot, per Begley, with Mathews also in the mix.
Brogdon, Shamet, and Mathews will all likely have Exhibit 9 language in their contracts, meaning they won’t count against the cap unless they make the regular season roster and the team will have protection in the event of a preseason injury.
Knicks, Landry Shamet Agree To One-Year Contract
3:39pm: Shamet’s one-year deal with the Knicks is non-guaranteed and he will compete with Garrison Mathews for a roster spot, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
2:53pm: Free agent shooting guard Landry Shamet is returning to the Knicks on a one-year contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), Shamet drew interest from other teams but he liked being part of New York’s locker room last season and wants to compete for a championship.
Shamet, who is entering his eighth NBA season, will earn $3,080,921 in 2025/26, while the Knicks will carry a cap charge of $2,296,274. We’ll have to wait and see if the contract is guaranteed — Shamet originally signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal with New York last fall.
Shamet, 28, was the 26th overall pick of the 2018 draft after three college seasons at Wichita State. He spent time with the Sixers, Clippers, Nets, Suns and Wizards prior to signing with the Knicks in 2024.
Known for his shooting ability, Shamet appeared in 50 games last season after his season debut was delayed by a shoulder injury. He averaged career lows of 5.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game, though he did convert 39.7% of his three-point looks.
Once the signing is official, Shamet will be the 13th player under contract with the Knicks. All three of their two-way spots remain open, with Kevin McCullar Jr. still a two-way restricted free agent.
The Knicks are hard-capped at the second tax apron and don’t have enough room below that threshold to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season. Given their proximity to their hard cap, the expectation is that their 13th man will be a veteran on a minimum-salary contract (like Shamet) and their 14th man will be a player whose draft rights they hold on a rookie minimum deal.
Cam Reddish Signs With Lithuanian Team
September 11: Reddish has officially signed with BC Šiauliai, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Sportando).
September 10: Cam Reddish is expected to sign with Lithuania’s BC Šiauliai, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports.
Reddish became a free agent in March, approximately three weeks before the end of the regular season, when he waived by the Lakers. There’s been no buzz about Reddish finding another NBA opportunity since then, but he’ll leave that door open if he signs with the Lithuanian club.
Reddish’s contract would include an exit clause for the 2025/26 season, allowing him to leave if opportunities in the NBA, EuroLeague, or other top-level competitions emerge, according to Urbonas.
BC Šiauliai has an NBA connection. Longtime Spurs assistant Darius Songaila is the team’s first-year head coach.
Reddish was part of the rescinded Mark Williams deal with Charlotte last winter. After being returned to the Lakers, Reddish appeared in just two games.
He was playing on an expiring contract after exercising a minimum-salary option on his 2024/25 contract. Overall, he appeared in 33 contests with the Lakers in 2024/25, including eight starts. He averaged 3.2 points in 17.8 minutes per game.
The 2019 lottery pick began his career with the Hawks and also had stints with the Knicks and Trail Blazers. In 254 career regular-season games, including 116 starts, Reddish averaged 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 23.1 minutes per game. Subpar shooting — 39.8% overall and 32.2% on three-pointers — is a big reason why the former No. 10 overall pick never lived up to his draft status.
Garrison Mathews To Sign Camp Deal With Knicks
The Knicks intend to sign free agent guard Garrison Mathews to a training camp contract, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (via Twitter). Mathews’ agent, David Bauman, confirmed the news to Bondy (Twitter link).
According to Bondy, Mathews will compete with Landry Shamet for a spot on New York’s regular season roster.
Nearly 85% of Mathews’ field goal attempts over the course of his career have come from behind the three-point line, and the former Lipscomb star has converted 38.2% of those outside looks. He also has a knack for drawing fouls on three-pointers.
Mathews, who turns 29 years old next month, has spent the past two-plus seasons with Atlanta. In 47 games last season, the 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists while knocking down 39.0% of his threes in 17.7 minutes per contest.
Mathews started his NBA career as a Wizard after going undrafted in 2019, spending two years with Washington. He also spent a year-and-a-half with Houston prior to being traded to the Hawks ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
Mavs Sign P.J. Washington To Four-Year Extension
September 11: Washington has officially signed his extension with the Mavs, the team announced (via Twitter).
September 3: The Mavericks and forward P.J. Washington have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth nearly $90MM, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. Washington’s new deal will run through the 2029/30 season.
The first year of the veteran extension will have a starting salary of $19,813,044, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. That is the maximum allowed — a 140% increase of Washington’s $14,152,174 salary for this season. With 8% annual raises, the total value of the deal will be $88,762,437.
Washington will be ineligible to be traded during the upcoming season once he officially signs the contract, since it will exceed the extend-and-trade limitations.
The Mavericks have been locking up veteran contributors throughout the offseason. They also signed Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford to three-year deals — Irving’s begins in 2025/26, while Gafford’s starts in ’26/27.
The Mavericks acquired Washington from Charlotte at the trade deadline in February 2024 and he was a key part of the team’s run to the Finals that season, starting in all 22 games. Last season, the 27-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per night with shooting splits of 45.3% from the field and 38.1% on 3-pointers in 57 games.
In 390 career regular season contests, Washington has averaged 13.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 30.6 minutes per game.
Washington will play a regular role in a loaded Dallas frontcourt that also features Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Gafford, and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
Kawhi Leonard Received Endorsement Payment After Minority Owner Invested In Aspiration
The Clippers‘ lone minority owner made a nearly $2MM investment in Aspiration while the company was in dire straits. The San Francisco-based environmental firm then made a $1.75MM quarterly payment to Kawhi Leonard on the same day the company laid off 20 percent of its workforce, Pablo Torre reports on his latest “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast as relayed by The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
It’s the latest development regarding the potential salary cap circumvention by the Clippers. Last week, Torre broke the story that Leonard signed a $28MM endorsement deal with the company, then performed no work after Aspiration received a $50MM investment from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. A subsequent report indicated that Aspiration agreed to pay Leonard an additional $20MM in company stock.
The NBA has hired a law firm to investigate the matter, and commissioner Adam Silver said on Wednesday that the burden of proof is on the league to find any wrongdoing by the Clippers.
Under the terms of the endorsement deal, Leonard was to be paid $1.75MM on a quarterly basis for four years. In December 2022, Clippers minority owner and vice chairman Dennis J. Wong made an investment of almost $2MM in Aspiration despite the fact that its independent auditor, KPMG, had resigned, and the company was already facing lawsuits worth millions for missed payments.
Aspiration missed a payment to Leonard in the fall before paying him in December, following Wong’s wire transfer to the firm, according to documents obtained by Torre. Payments to Leonard were marked as “critical.”
Leonard’s uncle and business manager Dennis Robertson had repeatedly contacted the company about the missed payment.
“There’s a huge freeze because there’s no money to be spent. So from the finance team’s perspective, we feel like we’re on the other end of collections calls. People are constantly coming in asking for their money. Between those months when all of this is missing – so September, October, November, and leading up to December, the actual certainty of the company even existing is up for grabs,” a former Aspiration employee told Torre. “At that point, are we gonna get paid as employees? Why does Uncle Dennis keep calling us? We have such bigger concerns that we’re thinking about, which is our own salaries. Are we gonna have to go through layoffs? Where is the money gonna come from? But lo and behold. Uncle Dennis gets paid.”
The Clippers issued a statement to Torre, which read, “The details of our relationship with Aspiration are under NBA investigation, but it is clear the company was a house of cards that defrauded Steve and many others. We look forward to sharing the facts with the league and providing them with all the information they need.”