NBA probe into Kawhi Leonard's Aspiration sponsorship expands to examine Clippers' expense payments
The league’s investigation into Leonard’s $28 million deal with Aspiration has widened to include possible cap-circumvention and un-reimbursed Clippers expenses, delaying a trade and prompting statements from the team and the players’ union.
The NBA’s inquiry into Kawhi Leonard’s sponsorship agreement with the now-bankrupt fintech firm Aspiration has entered its eleventh month and broadened its scope. Law firm Wachtell Lipton, hired by the league, is reviewing whether the Los Angeles Clippers helped the player bypass the salary cap by facilitating the deal and whether the team covered expenses for Leonard that were not reimbursed. The investigation also looks into a possible undisclosed endorsement with another company.
Toronto halted a trade for Leonard after the league warned the Raptors they could be held responsible for any penalties arising from the probe. The team said the pause does not indicate fear of punishment, but the delay underscores the investigation’s impact on roster moves.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the franchise have denied wrongdoing. Ballmer said he was a victim of fraud by Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg, who later pleaded guilty to wire-fraud charges. > “We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration,” the Clippers said in a statement. > “We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning.”
National Basketball Players Association executive director David Kelly said the case should not take this long to resolve. > “It should not take this long in order for something to get wrapped up.”
Leonard’s contract with Aspiration, signed in spring 2022, promised $28 million in payments but never produced public marketing for the company. Former Aspiration employees said the firm struggled to create a campaign around Leonard, whose low public profile made him an atypical spokesperson. Emails show the company considered using a Marvel-style concept featuring the player, but the effort was abandoned.
Sanberg, who held a board seat at Aspiration, reportedly pushed the deal and linked it to the Clippers’ broader relationship with the firm, which included a $300 million jersey-patch partnership and other financial ties. Ballmer’s philanthropic organization had made multiple grants to Sanberg’s foundation over several years.
The NBA has not provided a timeline for concluding the investigation. If a violation of the collective-bargaining agreement is found, an arbitrator appointed by the NBPA and the league would decide the outcome, though a settlement between the league and the Clippers remains possible.