Fresh twist in Clippers-Kawhi Leonard saga as Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg claims team approached him

The drama around Kawhi Leonard’s move to the LA Clippers took an intriguing turn on Monday. A report revealed that co-founder Joe Sanberg had previously claimed the Clippers approached him about a deal, contradicting Steve Ballmer's previous remarks.

This report was shared by Yahoo Sports on X (formerly Twitter) and offered a fresh perspective on the ongoing investigations.

"In December 2021, Joe Sanberg, the co-founder of Aspiration, told another company executive that the Clippers had approached him about doing a deal with Kawhi Leonard and said that “This is important to the Clippers,” per the Wall Street Journal," the tweet read.

The tweet also pointed out how the reported statement by Sanberg would contradict Ballmer's comments from September.

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"In September, during an interview with ESPN, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said it was Aspiration that asked him to introduce it to Leonard, but denied he knew about the endorsement contract that was signed or that he directed the company to do so," Yahoo Sports wrote.

The saga around Leonard and the Clippers revolves around the team's acquisition of the player in 2019. According to a report from investigative journalist Pablo Torre in September, the Clippers allegedly circumvented the league's salary cap to sign the forward.

Torre claimed that the Clippers facilitated the deal through a four-year sponsorship agreement that Leonard signed with Aspiration Inc., which saw him receive $28 million for no notable reason.

Although these claims have initiated an investigation, Ballmer and the Clippers association have maintained their innocence, while Leonard remains a significant part of the team.

The LA Clippers remain "confident" about the NBA's investigation into the Kawhi Leonard saga

With the NBA season fast approaching, teams have begun their final preparations. The LA Clippers will be entering the new season with a fully healthy Kawhi Leonard; however, an air of uncertainty hangs over them as the NBA continues its investigation into the acquisition of the forward.

Despite the probe, the Clippers remain "confident" about the outcome, as reported by Justin Russo.

"The LA Clippers are “eager for the [NBA] investigation” and “confident” in how it will unfold," Russo wrote. "On the Clippers’ end, they are aware of how the timeline of events looks from an optical perspective, maintaining their innocence and looking forward to the investigative process playing out."

On Monday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the investigation is still underway but didn’t give any indication of when it might wrap up.

Edited by Arian Kashyap