NBA hammers Clippers: Ballmer banned, picks stripped, Kawhi fined $700k

The Los Angeles Clippers received a severe punishment from the NBA for their involvement in salary cap circumvention violations. As a result of an independent investigation by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the team was stripped of five future first-round draft picks from 2029 to 2033, fined $30 million and $700,000, and subjected to a five-year compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed deep disappointment in the "flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures."

The Clippers' future now hinges on whether they proceed with the agreed-upon trade for Kawhi Leonard from the Toronto Raptors. The trade, which was paused pending the investigation's conclusion, would see the Clippers receiving Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple draft picks in return. The move would reunite Leonard with his former teammate Ingram, but the Clippers would lose several other draft picks and key personnel, including Lawrence Frank, who was suspended for six months without pay.

Despite the setback, Clippers President of Basketball Operations Gillian Zucker received only a one-year suspension. The team's financial flexibility is limited, with roughly half of their current cap space tied up in the salaries of Ingram and Darius Garland. With Leonard expected to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Clippers face significant challenges in rebuilding for the future.