{"id":2125542,"date":"2026-09-03T00:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2125542"},"modified":"2026-09-03T00:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:00:44","slug":"kawhi-leonards-uncle-dennis-pushed-clippers-until-nba-laid-down-the-hammer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2125542","title":{"rendered":"Kawhi Leonard\u2019s Uncle Dennis pushed Clippers until NBA laid down the hammer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The ink on the contract was dry. The brazen requests for wild, off-court payments, jets, even pieces of team ownership, had all been rebuffed.<\/p>\n

But within the first few months of star forward Kawhi Leonard\u2019s first deal with the LA Clippers, Dennis Robertson \u2014 aka Uncle Dennis \u2014 refused to be told \u201cno.\u201d He was known to have asked the Clippers and other potential suitors, like the Lakers and Raptors, for exorbitant, improper extra benefits for himself and his nephew during the latter\u2019s free agency in 2019, to the point of triggering a league investigation. By the time Leonard was being fitted for his No. 2 Clippers jersey, Robertson wanted an extra $10 million per year in income for his nephew and demanded assistance from the Clippers in getting it, which violates the NBA\u2019s salary-cap rules.<\/p>\n

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Because of that dogged insistence from Robertson, who was Leonard\u2019s business manager until this summer, and the Clippers\u2019 alleged willingness to make sure Leonard got paid, the NBA said Tuesday<\/a> that Robertson was banned from engaging with any team \u2014 on behalf of any player, coach or other employee \u2014 for five years.<\/p>\n

The league also said Leonard, with Robertson acting on his behalf, violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities and failing to reimburse the Clippers for personal expenses.<\/p>\n

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What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n
\n \"What<\/p>\n
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\n What we know about \u2018Uncle Dennis\u2019: A central figure in the Kawhi Leonard, Clippers investigation\n <\/div>\n
\n The Athletic conducted interviews with 17 different sources, league and team personnel to learn about Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and advisor.\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Clippers, who were penalized by the loss of five future first-round draft picks, a $30 million fine and suspensions of varying lengths for team owner Steve Ballmer, team president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and president of business operations Gillian Zucker, were accused of failing to report Robertson\u2019s illegal requests and for facilitating them.<\/p>\n

In a statement released through his new agent Harrison Gaines, who was not accused of wrongdoing, Leonard said, \u201cI accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle\u201d and that he had \u201cno knowledge of any intent on anyone\u2019s part to circumvent the salary cap.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Clippers vigorously denied the NBA\u2019s charges and swore to challenge them by any means available to them. Robertson could not immediately be reached for comment.<\/p>\n

As part of the stunning, 36-page summary of a nearly year-long investigation by white shoe law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz \u2014 hired by the NBA to investigate allegations of cap circumvention by the Clippers on Leonard\u2019s behalf \u2014 Robertson is accused of pressing top team officials for the extra payments for years, from the start of Leonard\u2019s first contract in 2019 until after he signed his extension in 2021.<\/p>\n

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The Kawhi Saga: What the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers revealed<\/div>\n
Mike Vorkunov and Jeshua Kidd<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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