Clippers docked five first-round draft picks and fined $30m over Kawhi Leonard scandal
The NBA has handed down one of the biggest punishments in the history of the league to the Los Angeles Clippers after finding that the franchise circumvented salary cap rules when it courted Kawhi Leonard as a free agent.
TL;DR
- Los Angeles Clippers penalized with five forfeited first-round draft picks (2029-2033).
- Team fined $30 million for circumventing salary cap rules.
- Owner Steve Ballmer suspended for one year; other executives also suspended.
- Kawhi Leonard fined $700,000.
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver cited flagrant violations and institutional failures.
- The Clippers plan to challenge the findings through arbitration, claiming a biased investigation.
- Investigation by Wachtell Lipton cited Kawhi Leonard's involvement with four companies doing business with the Clippers and receiving personal expenses.
- Allegations suggest Ballmer created off-court income opportunities for Leonard to circumvent the salary cap.