The NBA has imposed major sanctions on the Los Angeles Clippers following an investigation that found multiple rule violations and salary-cap circumvention involving arrangements made for star forward Kawhi Leonard.

The Clippers were fined $30 million and ordered to forfeit five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all team and NBA activities for one year, while team executives Gillian Zucker and Lawrence Frank received suspensions of one year and six months respectively. The franchise will also operate under a five-year NBA compliance and monitoring programme.

Leonard was fined $100,000 after the investigation found that the Clippers facilitated off-court income and endorsement opportunities for him through companies doing business with the team, including Aspiration, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance. The NBA said Leonard received about $66 million through endorsement arrangements facilitated by the Clippers.

The investigation conducted by law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz began in 2025 following questions surrounding Leonard’s reported $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration. The NBA concluded that the arrangements breached league rules designed to prevent teams from providing players with impermissible compensation.

The Clippers initially rejected the findings and said they would challenge the sanctions. Ballmer later accepted responsibility as the franchise’s principal owner, apologised and said the organisation would comply with the penalties, while maintaining disagreements with aspects of the investigation.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the sanctions were designed to reinforce the league’s rules and ensure meaningful deterrence while avoiding permanent damage to the franchise.