Up to date Sept. 2, 2026, 11:33 p.m. ET
The NBA has dropped the hammer on Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. And now, the Toronto Raptors should assess what they’ll do subsequent.
A league-backed investigation that spanned 11 months concluded the Clippers circumvented the wage cap with its alleged facilitation of “no-show” endorsement offers for Leonard, their former star ahead, the NBA introduced Wednesday, Sept. 2 in a information launch.
The Clippers are being fined a staggering $30 million, and the staff will forfeit 5 first-round picks within the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA drafts. Leonard has been fined $700,000, payable to the NBA, although he avoids any suspension. The league, nevertheless, is suspending Ballmer, the staff’s proprietor, from all league actions for one yr.
Moreover, Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from conducting enterprise with NBA groups on behalf of any participant for 5 years. Robertson was a key liaison within the endorsement offers between Leonard and the Clippers.
Can Clippers attraction punishment?
In accordance with the discharge, the NBA and Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation “have entered into an settlement confirming these penalties are last and binding on all events.” Primarily, this signifies that each events agreed to not attraction the choice.
What did Kawhi Leonard say?
Leonard denied any information of wrongdoing and mentioned he’ll settle for the penalties.
“Integrity and respect for this recreation are basic to who I’m,” Leonard mentioned Wednesday in an announcement launched by way of his agent. “I settle for full accountability for lapses in judgment by folks inside my internal circle and remorse the distraction this example has induced the followers and my household. I entered into my contract with the Clippers in addition to the agreements in query in good religion, totally dedicated to fulfilling my obligations and with no information of any intent on anybody’s half to bypass the wage cap.
“For 15 years, my precedence has been giving every little thing to my household, the sport, and people I share the courtroom with. As I return to Toronto, I’m targeted on what I can management, closing this chapter, and transferring ahead with a clear slate.”
What did Clippers say?
The Clippers, nevertheless, promised to “vigorously problem” the choice.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, that are the results of a closely biased investigation searching for to justify a predetermined narrative somewhat than info and proof,” the Clippers mentioned Wednesday in an announcement. “What the league informed us privately differs from what it introduced as we speak publicly, they usually haven’t held themselves near the usual Commissioner Silver set initially of the investigation to make sure its equity and accuracy.”
The Clippers additionally famous their full cooperation and good religion through the investigation in a vow to reveal their innocence.
“We intend to vigorously problem these findings and penalties by way of each avenue out there to us and look ahead to an moral and neutral arbitration course of,” the staff mentioned.
What are Clippers’ punishments about?
Though preliminary reporting surrounding the matter targeted on Leonard’s endorsement offers with a now-defunct inexperienced monetary companies firm referred to as Aspiration and, later, Daktronics, the investigation uncovered two extra endorsement offers with Boingo Wi-fi and Lockton Insurance coverage.
The NBA had contracted the New York-based agency of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz – which it has used up to now for different investigations – to guide the inquiry. Over the previous a number of weeks, the NBA had been discussing the findings of the investigation with the concerned events.
What Kawhi Leonard suspended?
No, however there have been entrance workplace suspensions.
The NBA mentioned Clippers president of enterprise operations Gillian Zucker has been suspended one yr with out pay for being the first contact to rearrange the endorsement offers and for “offering false and deceptive statements to investigators.”
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank will likely be suspended six months with out pay for his involvement within the matter and for “approving impermissible bills incurred by Mr. Leonard and his household.”
The Clippers will even be topic to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the NBA league workplace for 5 years.
What occurs with Kawhi Leonard commerce?
The Clippers and Raptors had agreed June 30 to a deal that would to ship Leonard to the Raptors, however each franchises every launched statements July 9, indicating that the execution of the commerce was being delayed till the investigation had concluded. Each groups additionally acknowledged that the NBA contacted every occasion and mentioned the commerce “can solely be finalized if the Raptors’ possession group assumes the danger of penalties associated to Kawhi’s contract that might theoretically consequence from the continued investigation.”
With that in thoughts, the Raptors mentioned they might wait till the conclusion of the investigation. Now that it is wrapped up, Toronto might want to decide the way to transfer ahead, although Leonard’s avoidance of a suspension seems to clear the best way for the deal to be accomplished.
What did Adam Silver say about Clippers’ punishment?
This alerts a steep rebuke for Ballmer and the Clippers and marks their second such violation since he took over the franchise in 2014. Primarily, the ruling presents a major blow to Los Angeles in a direct rejection of the franchise’s account of the occasion.
“The NBA’s collectively bargained system for figuring out participant compensation is a basic element of the basketball competitors that the league oversees for the good thing about the groups and gamers and in the end the followers,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver mentioned Wednesday in an announcement. “I’m deeply disillusioned by the flagrant violations of our guidelines and by the Clippers’ institutional and management failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties displays the seriousness of the violations.”
The Clippers had beforehand denied the allegations, calling them “absurd.”
How does Clippers’ punishment have an effect on them on courtroom?
The Clippers have undergone a youth motion because the staff continues its rebuild. In February, the staff traded James Harden to the Cavaliers and, in a distinct deal, Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. The Leonard deal earlier this summer season signaled a want to construct for the long run. Los Angeles completed ninth within the Western Convention with a 42-40 file and misplaced within the Play-In Match to overlook the postseason.
In trade for Leonard, the Clippers are set to obtain Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one decide swap and two second-round picks.
What led to investigation of Clippers, Kawhi Leonard
Sports activities reporter Pablo Torre of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” hosted an episode of his present that revealed Sept. 3, 2025, during which he outlined the allegations. On the middle of the case was the now-bankrupt “inexperienced” monetary companies firm referred to as Aspiration.
Torre uncovered 1000’s of pages of authorized paperwork, together with a contract signed by Leonard for $28 million over a four-year time period to market and endorse Aspiration, which beforehand obtained a major funding from Ballmer.
Within the contract, a clause states that KL2 Aspire LLC, an organization managed by Leonard, may “decline to proceed with any motion desired by the Firm,” which arrange a framework for Leonard to probably obtain funds with out performing any work. One other clause states that Leonard would obtain funds provided that he continued to be a participant on the Clippers.
Then, on Sept. 11, Torre reported {that a} December 2022 cost of $1.75 million to Leonard that had been operating late, was made simply 9 days after an organization led by Clippers minority proprietor Dennis Wong invested in Aspiration.
Silver publicly addressed the allegations in opposition to the Clippers in September 2025 and mentioned he had “very broad energy” to levy any penalties in opposition to the franchise, although he pressured that the league would train warning through the investigation.
“Within the case of the league, we and our investigators take a look at the totality of the proof,” Silver mentioned then. “Whether or not mere look – simply by the best way the phrases learn, as a matter of basic equity – I might be reluctant to behave if there was a mere look of impropriety. I feel the purpose of the investigation is to search out out if there was impropriety.”
Again in August 2015 – a yr after Ballmer’s buy of the staff was finalized – the NBA fined the Clippers $250,000 for “violating NBA guidelines prohibiting groups from providing gamers unauthorized enterprise or funding alternatives” of their pursuit of then-free agent middle DeAndre Jordan.
Aspiration had struck an settlement to be a staff sponsor of the Clippers from 2021-23. Aspiration filed for chapter in March 2025, and the corporate is going through a federal fraud probe.
Co-founder Joseph Sanberg was charged in early August 2025 and pleaded responsible to 2 counts of wire fraud, the Division of Justice mentioned. Per the DOJ, Sanberg defrauded buyers of greater than $248 million. On June 2, 2026, he was sentenced to 14 years in jail.
