NBA imposes massive penalties on Clippers over illegal endorsement scheme

A months-long independent investigation determined that the Los Angeles Clippers illegally bypassed NBA salary-cap regulations by facilitating endorsement contracts with a group of team-friendly sponsors, including Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance. The NBA responded with a series of severe sanctions: owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and team duties for a year and hit with a $30 million fine; the club lost five first-round draft picks spanning 2029 to 2033.

Additionally, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month suspension, business president Gillian Zucker was banned for one year, and All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000. Leonard’s uncle and business manager, Dennis Robertson, was prohibited from conducting any NBA-related business for five years. Commissioner Adam Silver called the violations flagrant and said the penalties reflect the seriousness of the misconduct.