NBA strips Clippers of five first-round picks, fines Ballmer $30M

League also issued suspensions after a yearlong probe.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 21 min read

BREAKING: The NBA has ruled on the Los Angeles Clippers in for salary cap circumvention investigations on Kawhi Leonard Via @ShamsCharania on X

What happened: The ruling cites salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard. Suspensions were issued to Steve Ballmer and Lawrence.

Why it matters: The loss of five first-round picks sharply reduces the Clippers’ future trade capital. It also adds a major league sanction to the Kawhi Leonard probe.

What to watch: Settlement talks involving Ballmer continued Friday, while Leonard’s trade remains on hold.

Sources

@ShamsCharania 2026-09-02T20:23:10.604474+00:00

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