The NBA handed the Clippers a punishment that lands hard now and could echo for years.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the league stripped Los Angeles of five first-round picks - 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 - fined owner Steve Ballmer $30 million, and suspended general manager Lawrence Frank and President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker. Kawhi Leonard also has to pay $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits by the Clippers.
The short-term damage is severe, too. Charania reported that Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year after seeking to help Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, along with several other instances of misconduct.
Zucker is suspended without pay for one year, while Frank is suspended without pay for six months. The league office will also oversee a compliance and monitoring program for the Clippers over the next five years.
That leaves Los Angeles staring at a stripped-down future. Losing those five first-rounders wipes out the team’s draft capital for several seasons, making it far harder to build through the draft in the years ahead.
The timing also adds another layer to the story. Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and several draft picks, but the deal could not be finalized until the investigation was completed. In an Instagram statement, Leonard said he expects to be officially traded to Toronto.
"I entered 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," Leonard said. "...As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate."
The Clippers could still back out of the trade, but that appears unlikely. Even if the deal goes through, the loss of five first-round picks is a crushing hit. For the franchise, the punishment reaches beyond one season or one front office shuffle - it changes the shape of what comes next.
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