Clippers Hit with Historic Penalties in Kawhi Cap-Tampering Case

The NBA found the Los Angeles Clippers guilty of facilitating endorsement deals to skirt the salary cap around Kawhi Leonard, imposing five forfeited first-round picks, owner Steve Ballmer’s one-year suspension and $30 million fine, and suspensions for top executives Lawrence Frank (six months) and Gillian Zucker (one year), plus Leonard’s $700,000 restitution (and his uncle Dennis Robertson’s five-year ban). The league framed the decision as a necessary safeguard for integrity, though some critics say Leonard’s punishment was too light and the punishment leaves the Clippers financially hamstrung with limited draft capital for years, potentially affecting competitiveness and forcing costly roster moves.