The NBA is dropping the hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers after concluding their investigation into the Kawhi Leonard scandal.
The league determined that the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules through fake endorsement deals that were used to funnel additional money to Kawhi Leonard. In a statement, the league said the Clippers engaged in “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” relating to the cap.
The Clippers are being stripped of five first-round draft picks, starting in 2029 and going through 2033. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has also been suspended for a year for “knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities.”
Clippers president Lawrence Frank also received a six-month suspension, while the organization has been fined $30 million.
The Clippers were accused of setting up endorsement deals for Leonard with other companies that would not require Leonard himself to do any actual work. Ballmer and the Clippers said they were also victims of fraud, but the league clearly found otherwise.
