The NBA has reportedly found no evidence that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money through team sponsors to Kawhi Leonard in an effort to circumvent the league’s salary cap, according to people familiar with the ongoing investigation.
Instead, the league is now focusing on whether the Clippers violated NBA rules by introducing Leonard to companies that had business relationships with the team.
The 11-month investigation initially centered on Leonard’s controversial $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a now-defunct green banking company in which Ballmer had invested. The probe later expanded to other Clippers sponsors, including Daktronics and Boingo Wireless.
However, sources familiar with the NBA’s discussions said investigators have not presented evidence showing Ballmer directed or funneled money to Leonard through any of those companies.
The league is reportedly examining whether the Clippers could be guilty of a potential “failure to supervise” employees after facilitating introductions between Leonard and team sponsors. It remains unclear what specific rule the NBA believes may have been violated or what punishment could follow.
The Clippers have defended the practice, saying it is common for NBA teams to introduce players to business partners and that the organization did not negotiate or dictate the terms of Leonard’s endorsement agreements.
The controversy began in September 2025 after podcaster Pablo Torre reported that Ballmer had invested $50 million in Aspiration through his personal LLC. Around the same period, the Clippers signed a $300 million partnership with the company.
Months later, Aspiration agreed to a $28 million endorsement deal with Leonard. The arrangement was subsequently described by an unnamed former employee as a potential mechanism to circumvent the salary cap.
The NBA later expanded its investigation to include Leonard’s reported relationship with Daktronics, the company responsible for the video board at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome, as well as Boingo Wireless.
Despite the expanded probe, sources say the NBA has still found no evidence that Ballmer used those companies to secretly transfer money to Leonard.
Negotiations between the NBA and the Clippers over the investigation’s findings are ongoing. The league presented its initial findings to the team in late July, and representatives from both sides have since been discussing a potential resolution.
Ballmer has reportedly maintained that he will not accept any finding claiming that he or the Clippers intentionally attempted to circumvent the salary cap. If the NBA ultimately imposes a punishment, Ballmer and the Clippers could challenge the findings through arbitration.
The NBPA could also become involved because any finding of salary-cap circumvention would represent a violation of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
For now, the investigation remains unresolved, but the latest developments represent a significant shift: the NBA appears to have moved away from allegations that Ballmer directly funneled money to Leonard and toward questions about the Clippers’ role in connecting Leonard with team sponsors.
