Sources: NBA OK'd Clippers' Aspiration sponsorship deal in 2021 - ESPN

The NBA vetted and approved a $300 million sponsorship deal between the Los Angeles Clippers and Aspiration in 2021, months before the green banking company signed a separate deal with star Kawhi Leonard that has triggered a salary cap-circumvention investigation by the league, multiple sources told ESPN.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the arrangement said the Clippers submitted the 23-year agreement to the NBA for approval before it was announced in September 2021, as required under league rules because it contained a jersey patch component, the sources said.

The agreement also included signage in the team's yet-to-be-completed arena in Inglewood, the sources said. In April 2022, Aspiration reportedly signed a separate, $28 million sponsorship deal with Leonard that was not subject to NBA review, per the league's collective bargaining agreement.

The NBA is investigating whether the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer violated league rules by circumventing the salary cap to compensate Leonard. Following reports of the allegations, NBA commissioner Adam Silver initially said he had «never heard of the company Aspiration before,» then later revised his comments to say he was «aware of the brand.»

The NBA does not require teams to submit all sponsorship agreements for review. But some types of sponsorships, including jersey patches and signage that is viewable on television broadcasts, are subject to heightened rules or approval by the league. Sponsorships with companies tied to cannabis, gaming and energy drinks are also subject to league review.

«Teams vet their own sponsorship partners and negotiate their own sponsorship agreements,» NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement to ESPN. «Given the jersey patch's