{
  "id": 437473,
  "title": "The four ‘illegal’ perks Kawhi Leonard allegedly wanted on Lakers in 2019 before joining Clippers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/the-four-illegal-perks-kawhi-leonard-allegedly-wanted-on-lakers-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-10T04:27:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/four-illegal-perks-kawhi-leonard-042735309.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2019, Kawhi Leonard, then a free agent, had a list of four perks he allegedly sought from potential NBA teams as he considered joining them. The Los Angeles Lakers were among those teams, and according to The Athletic, Leonard reportedly requested part ownership of the franchise, a private plane, a personal residence, and a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money. The Lakers categorically refused to offer Leonard these perks, stating that such requests were illegal and would not be considered. The Clippers, however, already agreed to a trade with the Raptors to send Leonard back to Toronto, pending the outcome of the NBA's investigation into potential cap circumvention and other alleged violations. Leonard's career trajectory now hangs in the balance until the league decides his punishment, which could ultimately impact the Toronto Raptors if his contract is voided.",
  "summary": "The NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers could have been avoided if they had played by the rules, like the Los Angeles Lakers wanted to. Leonard’s 2019 free agency saw him primarily pick between returning to the Raptors or joining the Clippers or Lakers in LA.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}