The NBA fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million for violating salary cap circumvention rules involving star player Kawhi Leonard’s endorsement contracts, the league announced on September 2, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The Clippers will forfeit five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033 as part of the sanctions [1, 2, 3].
Team owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all NBA and team activities for 12 months [1, 2, 3]. Gillian Zucker, president of business operations, was suspended without pay for one year for providing misleading statements and involvement in the impermissible deals [1, 2]. Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, received a six-month unpaid suspension for his role [2, 4].
Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 for pressuring the Clippers to assist obtaining off-court income and failing to reimburse certain payments linked to endorsement arrangements [1, 2, 3]. Leonard stated he "entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap" [1]. His agent said Leonard "accepts full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regrets the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family" [5].
The NBA investigation found the Clippers facilitated no-show endorsement deals with Leonard, including a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a sponsor of both Leonard and the Clippers through a 23-year, $300 million agreement [2, 6]. The now-bankrupt Aspiration was used to circumvent salary cap rules by funneling payments unrelated to actual services [7, 6].
Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s former business manager, was banned for five years from representing NBA players or related business dealings after being found to pressure the Clippers to assist Leonard in obtaining off-court income without proper reimbursement [8, 9].
The Clippers organization is placed on a five-year compliance and monitoring program overseen by the NBA [1, 9]. The team disputes the findings and plans to appeal, asserting bias and a preset narrative by the league [9].
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, "I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations" [3]. He emphasized the NBA’s collectively bargained system for player compensation is fundamental for the sport, teams, players, and fans [5].
The violations trace back to 2022 when Leonard signed a contract with the Clippers involving impermissible endorsement deals designed to circumvent salary cap rules [1, 2]. In July 2026, the Clippers had reached a tentative trade agreement sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors pending the outcome of this investigation [9].
