Overview

• At Clippers media day, Leonard said he understands his Aspiration contract, rejected claims of a no‑show deal, and invited the NBA to complete its investigation.
• Pablo Torre reported that Steve Ballmer’s philanthropic arm gave $1.875 million in late 2024 to a charity led by Aspiration co‑founder Joe Sanberg, after Ballmer had said he was defrauded.
• A former Clippers official told Torre there was “no way” the team didn’t know about Leonard’s Aspiration arrangement, adding to questions raised by prior documents and bank records.
• Reporting has detailed investment and payment timing, including roughly $118 million in Ballmer/Clippers‑linked funding and a December 2022 wire from a Clippers minority owner shortly before a $1.75 million Leonard payout.
• The Clippers and Ballmer deny any cap circumvention and say Ballmer was conned, while agents have called the reported $7 million‑per‑year endorsement outlandish; Aspiration is bankrupt and Sanberg has pleaded guilty to fraud.