Steve Ballmer and Clippers Hit With $30M Fine in Kawhi Leonard Salary Cap Case
- On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the NBA cleared Kawhi Leonard to return to the Toronto Raptors, declining to suspend him or void his contract following an investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers.
- A pattern of misconduct involving a $28 million 'no-show' endorsement deal with Aspiration prompted the league to strip the Clippers of five first-round picks and fine the team $30 million.
- Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution for circumvention violations, while Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months.
- Following the league's decision, the previously paused trade to Toronto can now proceed, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap, and two second-round selections to Los Angeles.
- Leonard joins a Toronto lineup featuring Barnes, RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles, Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, and JaKobe Walter, bringing championship experience from his 2019 title run with the Raptors.
401 Articles
401 Articles
NBA punishment leaves Los Angeles with years of roster constraints
The NBA’s punishment of the Los Angeles Clippers includes a $30 million fine, a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer and suspensions for two senior executives. Those sanctions are severe, but the most damaging basketball consequence may be the forfeiture of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033. Money and suspensions expire. Missing draft assets can restrict roster decisions for most of a decade. The penalties followed a nearly ye…
Steve Ballmer got suspended by the NBA because of a podcast and a jumbotron corruption scandal
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 […]
The Clippers' $30 Million Fine Is Probably Tax-Deductible, but Kawhi's $700,000 Fine Isn't
The NBA hit the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard with penalties from the same investigation, but the tax code treats those two checks like they came from different planets entirely.
The NBA punished the Clippers in the Kawhi Leonard salary cap scandal. Is faith in the league restored?
The NBA is taking on its richest team owner. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been fined $30 million and suspended for one year after an investigation found that his team got around the salary cap for player Kawhi Leonard.
NBA hits LA Clippers with a record fine for circumventing salary cap
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.
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