Silver signaled a careful, fairness-first NBA probe into whether the Clippers used Kawhi Leonard’s Aspiration endorsement to skirt the salary cap, tying Ballmer’s stake in Aspiration to a cash-and-stock deal for Leonard. The investigation, led by a top law firm, will seek concrete evidence, not appearances, with potential penalties from fines to draft-pick forfeitures if proven. The Raptors are noted as a contextual throughline in Leonard’s journey, while the league weighs the long-term impact on franchise value and integrity.