NBA finds Clippers violated salary cap rules; Ballmer given 1-year ban as team is stripped of 5 first-round draft picks
September 2, 2026 / 1:47 PM PDT / CBS LA
TL;DR
- Los Angeles Clippers penalized for violating NBA salary cap rules.
- Franchise to forfeit five future first-round draft picks (2029-2033).
- Owner Steve Ballmer suspended for one year and fined $30 million.
- Kawhi Leonard fined $700,000.
- The violations involved an endorsement agreement with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC.
- Clippers allegedly offered business to Aspiration and other companies in exchange for facilitating endorsement agreements.
- Leonard's uncle, Dennis Robertson, banned from engaging with NBA teams for five years.
- Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker suspended for one year.
- President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank suspended for six months.
- Clippers will undergo a five-year compliance and monitoring program.
- The Clippers organization rejects the NBA's findings, calling the investigation biased.