NBA strips Clippers of five first-round picks and fines team $30 million
The league punished Los Angeles after finding the franchise broke salary-cap rules in its pursuit of Kawhi Leonard, also suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a year.
The NBA has penalized the Los Angeles Clippers after concluding the team violated salary-cap rules while trying to sign Kawhi Leonard as a free agent. The sanctions include the loss of five first-round draft picks, a $30 million fine and a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer.
According to the league, the Clippers will not have a natural first-round selection from 2029 through 2033. The punishment is among the most severe the NBA has issued in a salary-cap case.
ESPN reported that the Clippers intend to contest the findings and will challenge the decision through every available route. The team has not publicly accepted the league’s conclusions.
The case stems from the NBA’s investigation into how the Clippers handled Leonard’s arrival, a process that drew scrutiny over whether the club had gone around league spending rules. Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019 and remains one of the franchise’s central players.
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