The NBA has fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million (£22.2 million) for salary cap violation as a means of directing millions to Kawhi Leonard, the superstar player.
The hefty fine comes following an NBA report indicating that Leonard coerced the Clippers to pursue lucrative deals away from the court and help him get them, per BBC Sport.
An investigation was triggered in September 2025 following claims by Pablo Torre, the podcaster and journalist who claimed the star had an $28 million (£20.8 million) endorsement deal with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, potentially breaching league rules.
In addition to the $30 million fine, the club is ordered to give up five first-round draft picks in the years between 2029 and 2033 while Steve Ballmer, the owner of Clippers, will be suspended from all team and league activities for a period of 12 months.
Two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 (£520,000) for his involvement.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “deeply disappointed” by the “flagrant violations” committed by the Los Angeles Clippers, adding that the punishment reflects the severity of their violations.
Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker has been suspended for one year without pay for giving false testimony to the investigating team.
According to NBA, the one month long investigation found a “pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” by Clippers organization, which previously violated the salary cap circumvention rules.
After the ruling, Leonard, who turned 35 last July, accepted full responsibility for his actions and regrets “the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.”
“I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap,” he wrote on Instagram.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP joined the Clippers in 2019 and spent seven years with the franchise before leaving this year.
