The National Basketball Association has issued penalties against the Los Angeles Clippers organization and player Kawhi Leonard following an investigation into cap circumvention. The league’s decision, announced on September 2, 2026, comes nearly a year after initial reports surfaced regarding Leonard’s involvement with a company called Aspiration.
The Clippers received the more severe sanctions. The team was stripped of five first-round draft picks and its governor, Steve Ballmer, was fined $30 million. Additionally, Ballmer and executives Lawrence Frank and Gillian Zucker received suspensions. Leonard, who signed with the Clippers in 2019, was fined $700,000. His uncle and former agent, Dennis Robertson, has been banned by the NBA from all business dealings.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, a key aspect of the punishment involves a first-round pick swap owed by the Clippers in 2029. Reports indicate that this pick swap will not be affected by the penalties. The 2029 first-round pick stripped from the Clippers is reportedly the Indiana Pacers’ first-rounder, which was owed to the Clippers from a trade involving Ivica Zubac.
Leonard has since been re-acquired by the Toronto Raptors in a trade earlier this offseason. This deal was on hold pending the completion of the cap circumvention investigation. With the investigation concluded and Leonard’s contract not voided or suspended, his return to Toronto is now confirmed. Leonard has expressed a desire to move forward with a clean slate in Toronto. The Raptors, a team that achieved 46 wins, are expected to improve by swapping Brandon Ingram for Leonard, despite Leonard’s injury history.
