Even with title aspirations, the Clippers could be derailed by something happening off the court.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Clippers have been under investigation by the NBA since reports surfaced that star forward Kawhi Leonard received a $28 million endorsement deal from Aspiration, a green banking company that had secured a massive sponsorship with the team and received a $50 million investment from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.<\/p>\n
Kawhi Leonard echoed the Clippers comments, saying there was no wrongdoing done:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or my team.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/NJh4dngdpK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The Athletic’s Pablo Torre initially reported that an Aspiration employee claimed the Leonard deal “was to circumvent the salary cap,” allowing the two-time Finals MVP to receive additional compensation outside what was allowed by the league. <\/p>\n On Monday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Baxter Holmes reported<\/a> that “the NBA vetted and approved a $300 million sponsorship deal between the Los Angeles Clippers and Aspiration in 2021, months before the green banking company signed a separate deal with star Kawhi Leonard that has triggered a salary cap-circumvention investigation by the league.”<\/p>\n This now raises questions about the investigation and what the league knew or should have known at the time.<\/p>\n Lawrence Frank addresses the NBA investigation \ud83d\udc47 pic.twitter.com\/4aYJm33UEr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Grant “Money” Mona (@Gmona48) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n ESPN’s reporting also reveals that “people familiar with the process suggested the probe could take months, perhaps not concluding until after the 2026 NBA playoffs.”<\/p>\n The defense for Los Angeles is in the timeline of events. <\/p>\n The NBA explicitly approved the Clippers-Aspiration partnership in September 2021, and “the Clippers submitted the 23-year agreement to the NBA for approval before it was announced,” as required under league rules because it contained a jersey patch component, according to ESPN.<\/p>\n Lawrence Frank says \u201cnothing has changed\u201d regarding Kawhi Leonard\u2019s status and talks about how the Clippers are approaching things while the NBA investigation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com\/pwdMF6WqgK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n If the NBA thoroughly reviewed Aspiration and thought the company was credible enough for a $300 million, 23-year partnership, the Clippers could argue they had no reason to question Leonard’s April 2022 endorsement deal. <\/p>\n The organization could claim they played by the rules, introducing a league-approved sponsor to their star player, something NBA rules explicitly allow.<\/p>\n The new information doesn’t necessarily clear the Clippers of wrongdoing. The investigation focuses on whether owner Steve Ballmer and the organization used Leonard’s $28 million deal as a payment to circumvent the salary cap.<\/p>\n The NBA’s approval of the team sponsorship doesn’t automatically make a player endorsement legitimate. <\/p>\n \u201cFrankly, I never heard of the company Aspiration before..\u201d \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n – Adam Silver on the Clippers situation<\/p>\n (h\/t @ohnohedidnt24<\/a> ) <\/p>\n