DistantNews
Support us
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Sports

Clippers lose five first-round picks and face $30 million fine over Kawhi Leonard scandal

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • The NBA found that the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules while pursuing Kawhi Leonard as a free agent.
  • The league removed five first-round picks, leaving the team without a natural pick from 2029 through 2033, and imposed a $30 million fine.
  • Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension, while executives Lawrence Frank and Gillian Zucker also faced suspensions.

The Los Angeles Clippers have lost five first-round draft picks and been fined $30 million in one of the NBA’s largest punishments after the league found salary-cap violations in the team’s pursuit of Kawhi Leonard.

The NBA’s collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is a fundamental component of the basketball competition that the league oversees for the benefit of the teams and players and ultimately the fans.

— Adam SilverThe NBA commissioner described the salary-cap system as central to the league’s competition.

The penalties leave the Clippers without a natural first-round pick from 2029 through 2033. The NBA also suspended owner Steve Ballmer from all league and team activities for one year.

Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, and Gillian Zucker, its president of business operations, received suspensions for their involvement in the scheme. The sanctions target both the franchise and its leadership.

I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct.

— Adam SilverSilver condemned the Clippers’ conduct and leadership failures.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league’s collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is fundamental to competition and serves teams, players and fans. “I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct,” Silver said. “The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”

The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.

— Adam SilverHe explained the scale of the sanctions imposed on the franchise.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog