NBA Cleared $300M Clippers-Aspiration Deal Before Kawhi Probe

The NBA vetted and approved a $300 million sponsorship between the Los Angeles Clippers and Aspiration in 2021, months before Aspiration signed Kawhi Leonard to an alleged four-year, $28 million no-show deal that has sparked a league probe into possible salary-cap circumvention. Adam Silver initially said he "never heard of the company Aspiration before," though he later acknowledged awareness, and the Clippers had submitted the jersey-patch deal for league review — a form of vetting the NBA requires. Merlin sees the smoke and knows where fire can spread. With owner Steve Ballmer reportedly investing $50 million in Aspiration and Aspiration’s co‑founder Joe Sanberg pleading guilty to fraud, the optics are toxic. If the league concludes money was steered to skirt the cap, expect fines, roster penalties or draft sanctions — and a long appeals season ahead.