Kawhi Leonard Net Worth

What Is Kawhi Leonard's Net Worth?

Kawhi Leonard is an American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $160 million. Kawhi Leonard began his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he quickly made a name for himself, winning the NBA Finals MVP in 2014 after leading his team to a championship victory. Leonard's tenure with the Spurs was marked by his defensive prowess, earning him two Defensive Player of the Year awards. In 2018, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he played a pivotal role in securing the franchise's first NBA championship in 2019, once again earning Finals MVP honors for his performance.

Following his success with the Raptors, Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, aiming to bring a championship to his hometown team. While the Clippers have been contenders, they have faced challenges in their pursuit of an NBA title. Throughout his career, Leonard has been recognized for his quiet leadership, work ethic, and significant impact on both ends of the court. He has been selected for multiple All-Star games and named to All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams, solidifying his status as one of the league's elite players.

Kawhi's base salary of $50+ million makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NBA. He also earns millions more every year from endorsements.

Salary & Contracts

In his first decade in the NBA, Kawhi earned $150 million in NBA salary.

In 2015, Leonard signed a 5-year, $90 million contract with the Spurs. As a result of this contract, Kawhi's annual salary jumped from $3 million to $16 million to $17 million. Kawhi Leonard's 2019 contract with the LA Clippers was recorded as a three-year deal, amounting to $103,137,300 – fully guaranteed. Starting in the 2024/2025 season, Leonard's base salary is $52 million.

Early life

Kawhi Anthony Leonard was born on June 29, 1991, in Los Angeles, California. Leonard is the youngest of five kids (and the only boy) born to Mark and Kim Leonard. Kawhi's life was marked early on by tragedy when his father was murdered at their family-owned Compton car wash, which he owned and operated.

Kawhi Leonard attended Canyon Springs High School and transferred to Martin Luther King High School in his junior year. During his senior year, Leonard played alongside Tony Shell, putting up amazing performances that deemed him a 4-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. In 2009, Kawhi was listed as the 48th-ranked player in the nation as well as the #8 small forward overall.

College Career

Kawhi played two seasons at the college level for the San Diego State Aztecs, where his prowess on the court earned him a consensus spot on the second-team All-American squad during his sophomore year.

During Kawhi's sophomore season, he led the Aztecs to win their second consecutive conference championship, which resulted in the team entering the NCAA tournament for a second time during Leonard's tenure. The Aztecs then progressed to the round of 16 before being beaten by UConn (University of Connecticut), who would go on to win the NCAA championship that year (2011).

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NBA Career

Kawhi Leonard declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season at San Diego State. The Indiana Pacers selected him 15th overall in 2011, but he was immediately traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a draft-night deal. Under legendary coach Gregg Popovich, Leonard quickly developed into one of the league's premier two-way players. He made the All-Rookie First Team in his debut season and, by 2014, was named NBA Finals MVP after helping the Spurs defeat the Miami Heat for the championship. His defense, large hands, and methodical offensive style earned him the nickname "The Klaw," while his quiet demeanor made him a distinctive figure in the NBA landscape.

Leonard remained with the Spurs through 2018, winning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016, before a rift with the team led to his trade to the Toronto Raptors. In his lone season in Toronto, he delivered one of the most memorable playoff runs in recent history. Leonard led the Raptors to the franchise's first NBA title in 2019 and won his second Finals MVP, cementing his reputation as a big-game performer. His buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals remains one of the most iconic shots in league history.

That summer, Leonard signed with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent, joining fellow star Paul George. With the Clippers, Leonard has battled injuries but has remained one of the league's most efficient scorers and elite defenders. He has signed multiple max contracts with the franchise, including a four-year, $176 million deal in 2021 and a three-year, $153 million extension in 2024. In the 2024–25 season, his base salary reached $52 million, making him one of the highest-paid players in the NBA. By 2025, Leonard's career earnings from NBA salaries alone had surpassed $330 million.

Alleged Fake Sponsor Deal

In September 2025, Leonard's name surfaced in an NBA investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers secretly funneled money to him through a failed fintech sponsor. According to bankruptcy filings and contracts obtained by journalist Pablo Torre, Leonard's company, KL2 Aspire LLC, signed a four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement in 2022 with Aspiration Partners, an environmental fintech partly funded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Former employees of Aspiration alleged the deal required little or no work from Leonard, raising suspicions that it was a "no-show" job designed to circumvent the NBA's salary cap. Public records show KL2 Aspire is owed $7 million by Aspiration's bankrupt subsidiary, while the Clippers themselves are listed as a $30 million creditor. The arrangement has drawn scrutiny because Ballmer was both an investor in Aspiration and owner of the Clippers, creating the appearance of a financial pipeline to one of the team's star players.

The Clippers have strongly denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations "flat-out wrong" and noting that it is not unusual for team sponsors to also sign players to endorsement deals. Still, the NBA has launched a formal investigation, citing its longstanding stance that salary cap circumvention is a "cardinal sin." If proven, the Clippers could face steep penalties, including fines, the loss of draft picks, or even the voiding of Leonard's contract.

(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Real Estate

In 2019, Kawhi paid $13.3 million for a home in Rancho Santa Fe, California. That same year, he paid $6.725 million for a penthouse condo in LA's downtown Ritz Carlton Residences. He listed this property in February 2024 for $6.5 million.

In March 2021, Kawhi paid $17 million for a home in LA's Pacific Palisades neighborhood:

Who's Richer?

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