Overview
- The NBA on Wednesday announced a 36‑page external report and punished the Los Angeles Clippers by removing their 2029–2033 first‑round draft picks, imposing a $30 million fine, ordering five years of league monitoring, and suspending senior team officials.
- Investigators from Wachtell Lipton concluded the Clippers used deals with four companies — Aspiration, Boingo, Daktronics and Lockton — to route improper payments to Kawhi Leonard that the league says avoided salary‑cap accounting.
- Commissioner Adam Silver accused owner Steve Ballmer of knowingly helping arrange off‑court earnings, and the league suspended Ballmer for one year and fined him $30 million for his role.
- Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 with no suspension, clearing the way for his June trade back to the Toronto Raptors and leaving his contract intact while he accepts partial responsibility for mistakes by people in his circle.
- The Clippers rejected the report as biased and said they will energetically appeal, but the NBA and the players’ union called the penalties final while journalists and the league warned additional disclosures and legal fights could follow, a development that will shape the team’s long‑term roster rebuilding without five early draft selections.