The NBA on September 2, 2026, handed down one of its harshest penalties in league history against the Los Angeles Clippers, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year and fining the team $30 million for circumventing salary cap rules to sign star Kawhi Leonard. The team was also ordered to forfeit five first-round draft picks.
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Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year by the NBA, and the team was ordered to forfeit five first-round draft picks and pay a $30 million fine for violating salary cap circumvention rules in a case involving Kawhi Leonard.
Team circumvented salary cap rules to sign star Owner Steve Ballmer lands one-year ban 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. The league has stripped the team of five first-round draft picks, giving the team no natura
In one of the largest basketball-related penalties ever levied against an NBA franchise in the league’s history, the NBA on Wednesday fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million and star Kawhi Leonard $700,000, suspended the team’s owner, Steve Ballmer, and two top executives and stripped the franchise of five first-round picks after ruling the team had circumvented the league’s salary cap rules.
The NBA also fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million and said the team will forfeit five first-round picks, one in each year in drafts starting in 2029.
The NBA stripped the Los Angeles Clippers of five first-round draft picks and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year after finding the team had circumvented salary cap rules by facilitating sponsorship agreements between outside companies and star player Kawhi Leonard. Randall Williams reports on "Bloomberg The Close." (Source: Bloomberg)
NBA suspends Clippers owner Ballmer, fines team $30M, Kawhi Leonard $700K in cap circumvention case AP News
The LA Clippers are fined $30m (£22.2m) by the NBA for violating salary rules over the acquisition of star player Kawhi Leonard.
The NBA on Wednesday announced sweeping sanctions against the Los Angeles Clippers for what the league said was an intentional effort to circumvent its salary cap by funneling money to star player Kawhi Leonard through endorsement opportunities and other income in order to sign him in 2024. The Clippers initiated "off-court income opportunities" between Leonard...
The NBA fined the Clippers $30 million and suspended team owner Steve Ballmer for a year following an investigation into salary cap violations connected to star player Kawhi Leonard. NBC News’ Liz Kreutz reports.
Owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from “all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard, and for his failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumventio
The NBA suspends LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and fines the team $41.5 million for "flagrant violations" of the salary cap rules, with Kawhi Leonard also fined.
Kawhi Leonard Salary Cap Scandal Rocks Clippers: NBA Hits Team With $30 Million Fine And Takes 5 First Round Picks https:// balleralert.com/kawhi-leonard- clippers-30-million-fine-five-draft-picks/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
Same guy who called Linux a cancer, the iPhone a failure, and jumps around like a monkey to 'motivate' developers... https://www. npr.org/2026/09/02/nx-s1-59548 25/nba-suspends-clippers-owner-ballmer-fines-team-30m-kawhi-leonard-700k-in-cap-circumvention-case
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer suspended for one year; team disputes league's conclusions and validity of investigation.
The NBA has fined the LA Clippers $30 million and taken five future draft picks. Team executives received suspensions for their roles in salary cap violations. Investigators found suspicious financial links between companies and the Clippers organization. The league also noted improper payments and benefits provided to Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers are expected to challenge these significant penalti
The NBA has delivered a harsh blow to the Los Angeles Clippers, penalizing them for salary-cap violations linked to Kawhi Leonard. The repercussions include forfeiting five first-round draft picks and substantial financial penalties, alongside suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer and several executives. Leonard himself faced a fine of $700,000. In response, the Clippers dispute the allegations and
NBA Penalizes Clippers with Draft Picks Loss and $30M Fine Over Kawhi Leonard Contract Violations The NBA has concluded its investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers regarding a potential salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard, according to insider Shams Charania. Following the inquiry, the league has penalized the Clippers by stripping the team ... # Basketball # LosAngelesClippers #
The move comes after a yearlong investigation determined that the team violated salary cap rules to help send millions of dollars to All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors could be back on now that there’s a resolution to the NBA’s investigation into salary cap circumvention rules during the seven-time All-Star’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA handed out one of its harshest penalties ever against the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the salary cap with star forward Kawhi Leonard. The league suspended the team's owner, stripped draft picks and fined the Clippers $30 million. William Brangham discussed more with David Aldridge of The Athletic.
Last September, Steve Ballmer insisted in an ESPN interview that the Clippers weren't involved in a shady-looking $28 million endorsement deal for his star player, Kawhi Leonard, that involved no actual endorsing. Now, the former Microsoft CEO has been suspended by the NBA for a year, while the league says his team will forfeit five […]