Steve Ballmer receives one-year suspension
The LA Clippers received NBA penalties on September 2, 2026, after an investigation found salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard. The league fined the franchise $30 million and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year.
The punishment also removed five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033. Ballmer remains the Clippers’ owner, but his suspension bars him from all league and team activities for one year.
LA Clippers lose five first-round picks
The NBA ordered Los Angeles to forfeit one first-round pick in each draft from 2029 through 2033. The five forfeited selections create a major long-term restriction on the Clippers’ future roster planning.
Draft picks can provide young players or assets for trades, so losing five first-round selections reduces flexibility. The Clippers still retain other roster-building options, including free agency, trades and remaining draft assets.
Steve Ballmer faces suspension reasons
The NBA suspended Ballmer for knowingly seeking off-court income opportunities for Leonard and approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter an endorsement agreement with Leonard. The league also cited his failure to create conditions for compliance with its salary-cap rules.
The suspension lasts one year and covers all league and team activities. The NBA did not order a sale or ownership transfer, leaving Ballmer as the Clippers owner during the suspension.
LA Clippers facilitated outside deals
Investigators found that the Clippers initiated off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies that do business with the team. Those companies were Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance during the investigation.
The NBA found that Los Angeles facilitated endorsement agreements and offered team business to encourage those arrangements. The Clippers also paid personal expenses and failed to report improper solicitations made on Leonard’s behalf.
Kawhi Leonard receives $700,000 penalty
Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 by the NBA after the league found violations involving improper off-court income opportunities and personal expenses connected to his representatives. The NBA said Leonard’s uncle and former business manager, Dennis Robertson, improperly solicited off-court income opportunities on his behalf.
Robertson received a five-year ban from doing business or engaging with NBA teams and their affiliates on behalf of players, employees, or other league and team personnel.
Clippers executives receive suspensions
Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker received a one-year unpaid suspension. The NBA said she was primarily and directly responsible for impermissible endorsement arrangements and provided false and misleading statements.
President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month unpaid suspension. The league cited his involvement with impermissible endorsement arrangements and approval of improper expenses incurred by Leonard and his family.
LA Clippers face five years of monitoring
The Clippers organization and its personnel will operate under an NBA compliance and monitoring program for five years. The requirement extends beyond Ballmer’s one-year suspension and the temporary bans imposed on executives.
League oversight forms a separate part of the sanctions alongside the $30 million fine and five forfeited first-round picks. The NBA can also consider further action if investigators receive additional relevant information.
LA Clippers had prior 2015 violation
The NBA cited the Clippers’ 2015 violation of its anti-circumvention rules in its 2026 findings. In 2015, the league fined Los Angeles $250,000 after a presentation to DeAndre Jordan improperly included a potential third-party business opportunity.
The NBA said the presentation did not influence Jordan’s decision to re-sign with Los Angeles. The league nevertheless ruled that offering the unauthorized business opportunity violated its anti-circumvention rules.
Steve Ballmer transformed Clippers home
Ballmer purchased the Clippers in 2014 after the NBA approved the franchise sale. The transaction closed on Aug. 12, 2014, making Ballmer the Clippers’ governor and beginning his ownership period.
Under Ballmer, the Clippers developed Intuit Dome in Inglewood as their dedicated home. The arena opened in 2024 after a privately funded project that cost about $2 billion.
LA Clippers enter sanctions after 42 wins
The Clippers finished the 2025-26 regular season at 42-40, placing third in the Pacific Division. Their season ended in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament before the league announced its September penalties.
Los Angeles used the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to select Illinois guard Keaton Wagler. The five forfeited first-round selections begin in 2029 and do not affect the completed 2026 draft.
Fun fact: Steve Ballmer was so obsessed with bathroom lines that Intuit Dome was built with more than 1,000 toilets.
LA Clippers reject NBA findings
The Clippers rejected the NBA’s findings after the penalties were announced and called the investigation biased. The organization said it planned to challenge the sanctions, creating a dispute over the league’s conclusions.
The NBA stated its penalties are final and binding under an agreement with the National Basketball Players Association. The league also said further action remains possible if investigators receive additional relevant information.
LA Clippers face long-term roster limits
The $30 million franchise fine is one part of the punishment. Other sanctions include five forfeited first-round picks, executive suspensions, Ballmer’s one-year absence, and five years of NBA compliance monitoring.
Those penalties do not determine future win totals because roster results depend on players, trades, contracts, development, and remaining assets. The five lost first-round selections nevertheless reduce options in future roster planning.
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Steve Ballmer remains Clippers owner
Ballmer’s future with the Clippers has drawn public attention due to his suspension and the NBA’s findings. The league did not order an ownership change, and Ballmer remains the owner during the one-year suspension.
The sanctions affect roster planning and organizational leadership without ending Ballmer’s ownership. Los Angeles will move forward without five future first-round picks while Gillian Zucker and Lawrence Frank serve their suspensions.
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Steve Ballmer remains the Clippers’ owner after a one-year suspension, a $30 million team fine, and major draft penalties. Should he continue leading the franchise after the suspension ends? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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