NBA fines Clippers $30 million, strips five draft picks; team vows to appeal

The NBA concluded an 11-month investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary-cap circumvention tied to Kawhi Leonard, finding a pattern of significant rules violations by the Clippers. The penalties include a $30 million fine, the forfeiture of five first-round picks from 2029 to 2033, and a five-year monitoring period for the franchise. Team owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year; Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year without pay; and Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months without pay, while Leonard was fined $700,000. Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robertson was banned from NBA affairs for five years. The Clippers and Ballmer rejected the findings and said they will pursue arbitration, arguing the investigation was biased and the league’s process unfair. The NBA said the decision preserves the integrity of the salary-cap system and serves as a warning to other teams about misconduct in off-court income arrangements.