The NBA has imposed severe penalties on the Los Angeles Clippers, their owner Steve Ballmer, and star player Kawhi Leonard following an investigation into salary cap circumvention. The Clippers organization has been fined $30 million and will forfeit five first-round draft picks from 2029 to 2033. This penalty is one of the largest basketball-related sanctions in league history, with the $30 million fine reportedly being the maximum allowed for cap circumvention, compounded for multiple violations.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from all league and team activities for one year. The NBA cited his role in knowingly helping Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities and approving a business deal that was a precondition for an endorsement agreement. Two top executives also received suspensions: Gillian Zucker, President of Business Operations, was suspended without pay for one year, and Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations, was suspended without pay for six months for their involvement in the impermissible arrangements.
Kawhi Leonard himself was fined $700,000 for pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities and failing to reimburse the team for personal expenses. His uncle, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from engaging with NBA teams or personnel for five years. The league’s investigation found that Ballmer invested $60 million in a now-defunct company that subsequently agreed to pay Leonard $28 million for unfulfilled endorsements. The Clippers, who stated they "vehemently reject the NBA’s findings," will also be subject to a five-year compliance and monitoring program.
