NBA Finds No Evidence Ballmer Secretly Paid Kawhi Leonard

The NBA’s lengthy investigation into Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard has yet to uncover evidence that the Clippers owner secretly funneled money to Leonard through team sponsors.

After an 11-month investigation, the league has presented no evidence that Ballmer used Aspiration or at least three other Clippers-linked companies to direct additional money to Leonard outside his NBA contract, according to ESPN’s reporting and sources familiar with discussions between the two sides.

Instead, the investigation has shifted toward whether the Clippers violated league rules by introducing Leonard and his representatives to companies that already had business relationships with the franchise.

The Clippers have strongly defended those introductions.

“Making introductions between players and team partners is both an ordinary practice by NBA teams and a common request of players and representatives,” the Clippers said in a statement to ESPN.

“The fact that a player has an endorsement relationship with a company that also does business with his team is not evidence of salary-cap circumvention,” the team added.

The investigation began after Pablo Torre reported in September 2025 that Ballmer invested $50 million into Aspiration shortly before the company agreed to a $300 million partnership with the Clippers. Aspiration later signed Leonard to a $28 million endorsement deal in April 2022.

Ballmer has consistently denied being involved in negotiating Leonard’s agreement.

“The introduction got made and then they were off to the races on, on their own. We weren’t involved,” Ballmer told ESPN. “I eventually learned that they had reached a deal. I have no idea what the deal was.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has also stressed that the league needs evidence before taking action.

“I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety. … I think that the goal of a full investigation is to find out if there really was impropriety,” Silver said.

Discussions between the Clippers and NBA remain ongoing, with Ballmer reportedly prepared to take the case to arbitration if the league ultimately concludes that he or the franchise intentionally circumvented the salary cap.