Clippers docked five first-round draft picks and fined $30m over Kawhi Leonard scandal

The Los Angeles Clippers face a historic penalty after the NBA discovered the team sidestepped salary‑cap rules to sign star Kawhi Leonard. Owner Steve Ballmer was handed a one‑year ban, and the franchise lost five consecutive first‑round draft picks—leaving it without a natural selection from 2029 to 2033. The ruling underscores the league’s strict enforcement of cap regulations and signals a major setback for the Clippers’ rebuilding plans.

Team circumvented salary cap rules to sign starOwner Steve Ballmer lands one-year banThe NBA has handed down one of the biggest punishments in the history of the league to the Los Angeles Clippers after finding that the franchise circumvented salary cap rules when it courted Kawhi Leonard as a free agent.The league has stripped the team of five first-round draft picks, giving the team no natural pick in the draft from 2029 through 2033. Continue reading...