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Steve Ballmer and Clippers Hit With $30M Fine in Kawhi Leonard Salary Cap Case
- On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the NBA cleared Kawhi Leonard to return to the Toronto Raptors, declining to suspend him or void his contract following an investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers.
- A pattern of misconduct involving a $28 million 'no-show' endorsement deal with Aspiration prompted the league to strip the Clippers of five first-round picks and fine the team $30 million.
- Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution for circumvention violations, while Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months.
- Following the league's decision, the previously paused trade to Toronto can now proceed, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a 2027 pick swap, and two second-round selections to Los Angeles.
- Leonard joins a Toronto lineup featuring Barnes, RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles, Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, and JaKobe Walter, bringing championship experience from his 2019 title run with the Raptors.
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NBA suspends Clippers owner for a year, docks team first-round draft picks from Kawhi Leonard probe
In one of the largest basketball-related penalties ever levied against an NBA franchise in the league’s history, the NBA on Wednesday fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million and star Kawhi Leonard $700,000, suspended the team’s owner, Steve Ballmer, and two top executives and stripped the franchise of five first-round picks after ruling the team had circumvented the league’s salary cap rules.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources81
Leaning Left16Leaning Right3Center46Last UpdatedBias Distribution71% Center
Bias Distribution
- 71% of the sources are Center
71% Center
L 25%
C 71%
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