Overview
- An 11‑month independent investigation concluded that the Clippers initiated and helped secure endorsement and benefit deals for Kawhi Leonard with team vendors, and the NBA announced penalties on Sept. 2, 2026.
- The league ordered the Clippers to forfeit first‑round picks in 2029 through 2033, fined the franchise $30 million, and placed the organization under five years of league supervision and compliance monitoring.
- Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and team activities for one year and two senior executives received unpaid suspensions for their roles in arranging or approving the impermissible deals.
- Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 but will not be suspended or have his contract voided, and his former business manager Dennis Robertson was banned from NBA business for five years, which clears the way for Leonard’s paused trade to Toronto to proceed.
- The ruling centers on so‑called no‑show or improperly induced endorsements with companies that did business with the Clippers, and the loss of five first‑round picks is likely to weaken the franchise’s long‑term roster building while the league says investigators may act further if new information emerges.