Los Angeles Clippers owner, Steve Ballmer, has been suspended for one year by the NBA. The decision came alongside significant penalties for the team, including the forfeiture of five first-round draft picks and a hefty $30 million fine. These actions were part of the repercussions following violations of salary cap rules connected to Kawhi Leonard.
The league also imposed penalties on other prominent figures within the organization. Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, received a six-month ban. Gillian Zucker, team president of business operations, faced a one-year suspension. Additionally, Leonard himself was penalized with a $700,000 fine.
The investigation, conducted over nearly a year by an independent law firm, revealed the Clippers had local violations. Despite multiple statements from the team proclaiming their innocence, the NBA’s findings remained firm. The Clippers publicly contested the league’s conclusions. They criticized the investigation as biased and claimed discrepancies between private communications and public announcements.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” the team stated.
Kawhi Leonard, seen warming up for an NBA game, faced scrutiny linked to a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC. This company declared bankruptcy previously and connected to a major fraud case. Aspiration’s co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, faced a 14-year federal prison sentence following a guilty plea for defrauding investors and lenders.
Leonard’s statement acknowledged lapses in judgment by his associates, expressing regret for the disruption caused. He clarified that his contract with the Clippers and endorsement deals were pursued in good faith, with no intent to violate the salary cap.
The league’s charges outlined pressures from Leonard’s former business manager to secure off-court income through the Clippers. Payments for personal expenses by the team also contributed to the violations.
Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors remained unresolved pending the investigation’s outcome. Despite this, both Leonard and the Raptors expressed eager interest in his return to the team, where he had previously won an NBA title.
“As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate,” Leonard commented.