NBA fines Clippers record $30m over Kawhi Leonard payment scheme
The NBA has hit the LA Clippers with a record $30m fine for breaching salary-cap rules to steer extra income to star Kawhi Leonard, stripping the team of five draft picks and suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a year.
The National Basketball Association has imposed a $30m (£22.2m) fine on the LA Clippers, the largest penalty ever handed to a franchise, after finding the club broke salary-cap rules to help star forward Kawhi Leonard secure extra income.
According to the league's investigation, Leonard pushed the Clippers to help him land and secure off-court earning opportunities. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was "deeply disappointed" by what he called the Clippers' flagrant rule-breaking, adding that the scale of the punishment reflects how serious the violations were.
Further sanctions
Beyond the fine, the Clippers must give up five first-round draft picks spanning 2029 to 2033. Owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from all league and team activity for 12 months over his involvement in matters tied to Leonard's sponsorship agreements.
Leonard himself was fined $700,000, while the team's president of business operations, Gillian Zucker, received a one-year unpaid suspension for giving investigators misleading statements.
The NBA said its month-long inquiry uncovered a pattern of misconduct and several major rule violations, noting the Clippers had previously been found guilty of circumventing the salary cap.
Leonard responds
Following the ruling, the 35-year-old said on Instagram that he accepts full responsibility and regrets the distraction the situation caused for fans and his family. He maintained he signed his contract and related agreements in good faith, unaware of any intention to bypass the salary cap.
A two-time NBA Finals MVP, Leonard spent seven seasons with the Clippers after joining in 2019, leaving the franchise earlier this year. The NBA said both the organisation and its staff will now be subject to a five-year compliance and monitoring programme run by the league.
