Los Angeles (GNP): The LA Clippers have been fined $30 million by the National Basketball Association (NBA), the largest penalty in league history, after an investigation found the franchise violated salary rules to funnel millions of dollars to star player Kawhi Leonard.
The NBA’s report found that Leonard pressured the Clippers into obtaining off-court income opportunities and successfully securing those opportunities, a pattern the league said reflected a broader set of violations by the organization. The investigation was opened in September 2025 after podcast journalist Pablo Torre reported that a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC may have breached league rules, setting off a month-long inquiry into the team’s dealings.
As a result of the findings, the Clippers will forfeit five first-round draft picks between 2029 and 2033, while owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from all league and team activities for 12 months over his role in matters involving Leonard’s sponsorship contracts. Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker has also been suspended for one year without pay, after the league said she provided misleading statements to investigators during the process. Leonard himself was fined $700,000 by the NBA for his part in the matter.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was deeply disappointed by the Clippers’ flagrant violations of league rules, adding that the severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations uncovered. The league said its investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, noting that the team had previously been found in violation of salary-cap circumvention rules.
Following the ruling, Leonard said he accepts full responsibility for his actions and regrets the distraction the situation has caused for fans and his family. Writing on Instagram, he said he entered into his contract with the Clippers and the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling his obligations and without knowledge of any intent by anyone to circumvent the salary cap.
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The Clippers, however, pushed back firmly against the league’s findings, saying they would appeal the decision through every available avenue. In a statement, the team said it vehemently rejects the NBA’s findings, describing the investigation as heavily biased and asserting that what the league communicated privately differed from what it announced publicly.
Ballmer’s attorney, David Kelley, said in a statement released by the Clippers that his client’s reputation has been irreparably damaged, pointing to the ongoing investigation, related civil litigation and the Aspiration bankruptcy proceedings as compounding the impact on Ballmer.
Amid the fallout, Leonard, who spent seven years with the Clippers after joining in 2019, is now expected to complete his move to the Toronto Raptors, a transfer that had been placed on hold pending the outcome of the investigation. The NBA said the Clippers’ organization and personnel will be subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league for the next five years.
