Clippers owner Steve Ballmer suspended one year, team fined $30 million by NBA

The NBA has issued historic sanctions against the Los Angeles Clippers for salary cap circumvention, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the franchise $30 million, and stripping five future first-round draft picks. Star forward Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 following a yearlong investigation into a $28 million endorsement deal with the bankrupt firm Aspiration and other team sponsors. While the Clippers vehemently reject the findings as a biased witch hunt, Leonard's pending trade to the Toronto Raptors remains on hold as the league enforces strict compliance monitoring.

NBA penalties against Clippers

• ▪The NBA suspended Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer for one year and fined the team $30 million on September 2, 2026, for violating salary cap circumvention rules
• ▪The NBA suspended Los Angeles Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker for one year and banned president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months
• ▪The Los Angeles Clippers and their personnel will be placed under an NBA compliance and monitoring program for five years
• ▪The Los Angeles Clippers will forfeit five first-round draft picks, losing one pick in each draft from 2029 through 2033

Steve Ballmer one-year suspension

• ▪The NBA suspended Steve Ballmer for knowingly seeking to help Kawhi Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities and approving a business deal that was a precondition for an endorsement contract
• ▪Steve Ballmer previously invested $50 million in Aspiration ahead of Kawhi Leonard's deal, and invested an additional $10 million in the company in 2023

Aspiration endorsement deal investigation

• ▪The NBA investigation, conducted by law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, found that the Los Angeles Clippers initiated off-court income opportunities for Kawhi Leonard with Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance
• ▪Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million
• ▪The NBA's investigation began in September 2025 following a report by journalist Pablo Torre regarding a $28 million endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC

Kawhi Leonard salary cap violations

• ▪The NBA banned Kawhi Leonard's former business manager and uncle, Dennis Robertson, from doing business with NBA teams for five years
• ▪The NBA fined Kawhi Leonard $700,000 for violating salary cap circumvention rules by pressuring the Los Angeles Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities

Clippers rejection of findings

• ▪The Los Angeles Clippers vehemently rejected the NBA's findings, calling the investigation heavily biased and pledging to challenge the penalties through arbitration
• ▪David Kelley, an attorney representing Steve Ballmer, described the NBA investigation as a 'witch hunt' and accused Commissioner Adam Silver of failing to provide due process

Leonard trade to Raptors

• ▪Kawhi Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors has been on hold pending the outcome of the NBA's salary cap circumvention investigation
• ▪Kawhi Leonard stated he is focused on returning to Toronto, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate

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