The National Basketball Association (NBA) has handed down severe penalties to the Los Angeles Clippers for violating salary cap regulations, including suspending the team’s owner and stripping them of multiple first-round draft picks.
On Thursday, the NBA announced sanctions against the Clippers for breaching salary cap rules in relation to star player Kawhi Leonard.
The league imposed a record-breaking 30 million USD fine on the organization and revoked five of their first-round draft picks.
As a result, the Clippers will be unable to make first-round selections in the NBA draft from 2029 through 2033.
Team executives also faced harsh consequences. Owner Steve Ballmer is barred from participating in league and team activities for one year. Gillian Zucker, president of business operations, received a one-year unpaid suspension, while Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, was suspended without pay for six months.
Leonard himself must pay a 700,000 USD fine but avoided suspension from play.
Last September, allegations emerged that the Clippers had circumvented the salary cap by providing Leonard with substantial financial support through a sponsorship deal.
The NBA conducted a year-long investigation, which confirmed these allegations.
In 2022, Ballmer’s eco-friendly finance company, Aspiration, signed a 28 million USD advertising contract with Leonard. This deal was revealed to be a ghost contract designed to bypass the salary cap.
The NBA explained that the Clippers, who have previously violated salary cap regulations, were found to have committed a series of infractions and serious rule violations in this instance.
The Clippers organization pushed back, calling the investigation biased and claiming it aimed to justify a predetermined conclusion rather than relying on facts and evidence.
Leonard, however, took full responsibility for his part in the scandal, expressing remorse to fans and families affected by the situation.
Leonard, who joined the Clippers in 2019 and played seven seasons with the team, was traded to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the 2026-27 season.
While the NBA had put the trade approval on hold pending the investigation’s outcome, ESPN reports that the transfer is expected to be finalized following the announcement of these penalties.
