LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers have paid the $30 million fine the NBA assessed in the Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention case, owner Steve Ballmer said in a statement posted to his account on X at 10 p.m. CT Sunday. Ballmer apologized to the team’s fans, employees, and his fellow NBA owners, and said the Clippers have told the league they are complying with the penalties.
Five first-round picks are gone, one in each draft from 2029 through 2033, under the penalties the league announced Sept. 2. The fine is the largest in NBA history. Ballmer was suspended from all league and team activities for one year.
Eleven days after the league announced the penalties, Ballmer said the Clippers will keep building the roster and investing in the community.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer continued. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.”
“The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve,” Ballmer continued. “The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”
LA Clippers Said Sept. 2 They Would Challenge NBA Findings
The Clippers rejected the findings the day they landed. “We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings,” the team said Sept. 2. The statement called the investigation biased. The team said it would challenge the findings and penalties through every avenue available to it. It said it wanted an impartial arbitration process.
The Associated Press reported on a letter Ballmer’s attorney sent Commissioner Adam Silver that same day. David Kelley, a partner at O’Melveny & Myers, called the investigation “a witch hunt.” Silver had promised the burden would sit with the league to prove any violation, Kelley wrote. He said Ballmer’s side was exploring every legal remedy.
Silver said the violations of league rules were flagrant. He said he was “deeply disappointed” by the institutional and leadership failures that led to the misconduct.
On Sept. 10, The New York Times reported that Ballmer and the Clippers were considering a lawsuit over the penalties. The suit would ask a judge to issue a restraining order. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have opened a criminal investigation into the team’s dealings with Leonard, the same report said. At least one subpoena has been issued.
Under an agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, the penalties are final and binding on all parties, according to the league’s announcement. Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months. For five years, the organization will be subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office.
This is the second circumvention finding against the Clippers under Ballmer. The league fined the team $250,000 in 2015 over its free-agency presentation to center DeAndre Jordan. The presentation included a Lexus endorsement worth $20,000 a year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ballmer sent employees a memo after that fine. The Orange County Register obtained it. Any circumvention was inadvertent, he wrote. The presentation had no impact on Jordan’s decision to re-sign.
Kawhi Leonard Trade To Toronto Raptors Still Pending
Pablo Torre first reported Leonard’s four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration on Sept. 3, 2025. Ballmer had backed the company with $50 million. Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison this year after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.
Leonard was fined $700,000 and was not suspended. His uncle and former business manager, Dennis Robertson, was barred for five years from conducting business with NBA teams and their affiliates.
The Clippers agreed June 30 to trade Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033. The deal was put on hold July 9 pending the end of the investigation and has not been completed.
Last season, Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 65 games. He has one year left on his contract.
NBA training camps open Sept. 29. The Clippers meet the Raptors in a preseason game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Oct. 10, and the regular season begins Oct. 20.
