Kawhi Leonard Reportedly Had a ‘Long and Absurd’ List of Demands for Raptors in ‘19

Kawhi Leonard's 2019 free agency just got a lot juicier thanks to a new report in the Toronto Star. According to Bruce Arthur, Kawhi Leonard, through his uncle Dennis Robertson, made a number of demands while negotiating with the Raptors. Some of them very similar to what Pablo Torre reported Leonard had received from Aspiration that now has Steve Ballmer and the Clippers under investigation by the NBA.

According to the Toronto Star, Uncle Dennis made a number of outrageous requests including a stake in ownership in the Maple Leafs and $10 million annually in extra sponsorship income that he would not have to do anything for.

But multiple sources with knowledge of Toronto’s contract negotiations with Leonard in 2019 told the Star that Leonard’s uncle and representative, Dennis Robertson, made demands that line up almost perfectly with what Leonard reportedly got from Aspiration. According to those sources, who were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about the negotiations, Robertson’s list was long, and absurd. It included a trade for George, which featured an exorbitant price tag. It included a slice of ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which Robertson was told was impossible.

The Raptors told Leonard's camp that he could not have an ownership stake in the Leafs or any other company they did business with, but they could help set up endorsements with corporate sponsors who wanted to work with him. The alleged response from Uncle Dennis was simple:

“We don’t want to do anything.” Raptors representatives said any sponsor would want to shoot ads or arrange appearances; Robertson reiterated Leonard didn’t want to do anything for the money.

Leonard ended up signing with the Clippers, where he made a lot of money, but has yet to win a championship like he did in Toronto. All things considered, the Raptors got a pretty good deal.