The NBA announced Wednesday that the Los Angeles Clippers and star player Kawhi Leonard have been found in violation of salary cap circumvention rules, leading to significant penalties for the franchise. The league concluded a year-long investigation into the matter, which reportedly involved a no-show sponsorship deal with Aspiration used to provide unrecorded off-court income and endorsement opportunities to Leonard when he signed with the team in 2022.
As a result of the investigation, the NBA has fined the Clippers organization $30 million and stripped them of five first-round draft picks spanning from 2029 to 2033. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and General Manager Lawrence Frank also received suspensions. Leonard himself was fined $700,000 for his involvement in the circumvention scheme.
The Clippers organization has stated its intent to vigorously challenge the NBA’s ruling, calling the decision biased. This punishment is considered one of the largest in NBA history for salary cap violations.
