The NBA has fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30m and stripped the team of five first-round draft picks after finding it circumvented salary cap rules to sign Kawhi Leonard. Owner Steve Ballmer was handed a one-year ban and Leonard was fined $700,000.
Key facts
- The Clippers were fined $30m (£22.2m) by the NBA.
- The team was stripped of five first-round draft picks, leaving it with no natural pick from 2029 through 2033.
- Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year ban.
- Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000.
- The league found the franchise circumvented salary cap rules when courting Leonard as a free agent.
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, according to the Guardian.
As part of the penalty, the league stripped the team of five first-round draft picks, leaving the Clippers with no natural pick in the draft from 2029 through 2033. The loss of a decade’s worth of top selections is a significant blow to the franchise’s ability to build through the draft.
Alongside the loss of picks, the Clippers were fined $30m (£22.2m), the BBC reported. Sky Sports confirmed the fine was announced on Wednesday, adding that star player Kawhi Leonard was hit with a separate penalty of $700,000 by the league for the violation.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was also handed a one-year ban, according to the Guardian and Sky Sports, adding a personal sanction against the franchise’s leadership to the financial and draft-related penalties.
The punishment centres on findings that the team violated the NBA’s salary cap circumvention rules during its acquisition of Leonard, one of the league’s marquee players. The combination of a heavy fine, the removal of multiple draft picks and a ban for the owner represents an unusually severe response from the league office.
Why it matters
Salary cap rules are designed to keep competition between NBA teams fair, and this ruling signals the league's willingness to impose severe penalties when it finds those rules were broken. For the Clippers, losing five first-round picks alongside a $30m fine could shape the franchise's roster-building prospects for years.
Frequently asked questions
How much were the Clippers fined?
The NBA fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30m, which the BBC reported is equivalent to about £22.2m.
What penalty did Kawhi Leonard receive?
According to Sky Sports, Kawhi Leonard was hit with a $700,000 penalty by the NBA for the salary cap circumvention rules violation.
What happened to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer?
Owner Steve Ballmer was handed a one-year ban, according to the Guardian and Sky Sports.