LA Clippers fined record $30 million by NBA over Kawhi Leonard deal

The LA Clippers have been hit with the largest fine in NBA history after the league found a pattern of misconduct surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s off-court income opportunities. The team must pay $30 million and forfeit five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033.

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obtaining off-court income opportunities [and] successfully obtaining those opportunities

The NBA also suspended Clippers owner Steve Ballmer from all league and team activities for 12 months. Gillian Zucker, the team’s president of business operations, received a one-year unpaid suspension for providing “misleading statements to investigators.”

The league said the Clippers knowingly sought to help Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities through matters involving his sponsorship contracts. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described the violations as “flagrant” and said the penalties reflected their seriousness. The NBA’s month-long investigation identified multiple significant rules violations and noted that the Clippers had previously breached salary-cap circumvention rules.

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knowingly seeking to help Mr Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities

Leonard, who was fined $700,000, said he “accepts full responsibility” for his actions and regrets the distraction caused to fans and his family. He wrote on Instagram that he entered his Clippers contract and the related agreements in good faith, with no knowledge of anyone’s intention to circumvent the salary cap.

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deeply disappointed

Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019, won two NBA Finals Most Valuable Player awards during his career, and spent seven years with the franchise before leaving earlier this year. The NBA said the Clippers organization and its personnel will face five years of league-supervised compliance monitoring.

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accepts full responsibility