EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe NBA on Wednesday announced punishments for the LA Clippers for violating salary cap circumvention rules when it signed star Kawhi Leonard, the league announced.In a statement, the NBA said a monthslong investigation "found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules."The punishments, as announced by the league, include: The Clippers must forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033. The Clippers are fined $30 million. Owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year. President of business operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for one year. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for six months Leonard must pay the league $700,000.All penalties are binding, the league and the players' union said."The NBA's collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is a fundamental component of the basketball competition that the league oversees for the benefit of the teams and players and ultimately the fans," commissioner Adam Silver said. "I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers' institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations."Leonard, through his new agent, Harrison Gaines, said he accepted "full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.""I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone's part to circumvent the salary cap," he said.The investigation was conducted by New York law firm Wachtell Lipton, which released a summary report Wednesday.It came after allegations that the Clippers compensated Leonard through a $28 million endorsement deal that he signed in 2022 with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration, which also had a 23-year, $300 million endorsement deal with the Clippers.
