Overview

• On a Twitch stream, Ja Morant read a viewer’s offer to join a “tree company,” a pointed reference to allegations involving Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration.
• Morant initially asked what kind of tree the viewer meant before the exchange spread across X, TikTok, and Instagram as a quick-hit meme.
• The NBA has opened an investigation into reports that an Aspiration endorsement paid Leonard in a manner that may have circumvented salary‑cap rules.
• Pablo Torre has reported documents indicating roughly $28 million to Leonard, including a $1.75 million payment days after a $1.99 million investment by Clippers part‑owner Dennis Wong in December 2022.
• Aspiration entered bankruptcy in March 2025, Steve Ballmer is reported to have invested about $50 million in the company, and the Clippers and Ballmer have denied wrongdoing as the probe continues.