--- title: "NBA Slaps Unprecedented Sanctions on the Clippers: Five Draft Picks, $30 Million Fine, and Balmer's Suspension" description: "The NBA stripped the Los Angeles Clippers of five first-round draft picks and fined them $30 million for salary cap circumvention. Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, while Kawhi Leonard is set to join Toronto." date: 2026-09-03T08:08:03.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nba-slaps-unprecedented-sanctions-on-clippers-leonard-scan tags: [nba, los-angeles-clippers, kawhi-leonard, steve-ballmer, toronto-raptors, salary-cap] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # NBA Slaps Unprecedented Sanctions on the Clippers: Five Draft Picks, $30 Million Fine, and Balmer's Suspension ![Los Angeles Clippers logo on the court — the team hit with unprecedented NBA sanctions](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/03/nba-nakazala-klippers-skandal-leonard/nba-nakazala-klippers-skandal-leonard-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The NBA stripped the Clippers of five consecutive first-round draft picks (starting in 2029) and fined them $30 million. - Steve Ballmer was suspended from NBA activities for one year, and the team will be under enhanced league oversight for five years. - Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 and confirmed his move to the Toronto Raptors. - Commissioner Adam Silver stated that the penalty is final and not subject to appeal. The National Basketball Association has imposed an unprecedented package of sanctions on the Los Angeles Clippers following an investigation into salary cap circumvention. An independent review found that the team had brought in outside sponsors to enter into secret endorsement deals with star forward Kawhi Leonard, and had also covered his personal expenses, effectively taking part of his compensation outside the league's financial regulations. This scheme became the basis for the strictest measures the NBA has ever applied to an active franchise. ### Scale of the Financial and Draft Penalty At the conclusion of the proceedings, the league stripped the Clippers of five consecutive first-round draft picks, starting with the 2029 draft, and ordered the organization to pay a fine of $30 million. According to several industry publications, this amount is the largest fine in NBA history, underscoring the severity of the violation and the league's firm stance on salary cap compliance. ### Sanctions Against the Owner and the Player Separate measures targeted the front office and the player himself. Team owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from NBA activities for one year, and the organization will be under enhanced league oversight for five years. Kawhi Leonard himself was fined $700,000. The player stated that he was personally unaware of the financial maneuvers carried out by his entourage, but he took responsibility for what happened. ### Leonard's Move to Toronto In addition to the sanctions, the two-time NBA champion confirmed that he is leaving Los Angeles: next season he will play for the Toronto Raptors, marking his second return to the franchise in his career. This move was a logical continuation of a series of events that had previously reported the team's star being sidelined for six months due to a serious injury. ### The League's Position NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized that the imposed penalty is final and not subject to appeal. Thus, the league sent a clear signal that circumventing the salary cap through hidden endorsement and sponsorship schemes will be met with maximum severity, and that responsibility for such schemes is borne not only by the team but also by its owner and the player directly involved. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Harsh Punishment: NBA Sanctions the Clippers Over the Leonard Scandal](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/basketball/zhorstke-pokarannya-nba-naklala-sanktsiyi-1788422698.html) - Базовый текст новости; подтверждает санкции, обход потолка зарплат и связь со скандалом Леонарда. - [Clippers to Lose Five First-Round Picks: NBA Announces Sanctions in Salary Cap Circumvention Case ...](https://www.championat.com/basketball/article-6605958-klippers-poteryayut-pyat-pikov-pervogo-raunda-nba-obyavila-sankcii-v-dele-ob-obhode-potolka-zarplat-vse-podrobnosti-resheniya.html) - Подтверждает лишение пяти пиков первого раунда и квалификацию дела как обхода потолка зарплат. - [Clippers Receive the Largest Fine in NBA History](https://sportmail.ru/article/basketball-nba/72223568/) - Подтверждает размер штрафа и характеризует его как крупнейший в истории лиги. - [NBA Fines the Los Angeles Clippers $30 Million and Strips Five First-Round Draft Picks in ...](https://matchtv.ru/basketball/matchtvnews_NI2361138_NBA_oshtrafovala_LosAndzheles_Klippers_na_30_mln_i_lishila_pati_pikov_pervogo_raunda_drafta_po_delu_Leonarda) - Подтверждает сумму штрафа $30 млн, пять пиков драфта и связь с делом Леонарда. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What sanctions did the NBA impose on the Clippers? **A:** The team was stripped of five consecutive first-round draft picks (starting in 2029), fined $30 million, and placed under enhanced league oversight for five years. ### Q: What happened to Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard? **A:** Steve Ballmer was suspended from NBA activities for one year, while Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 and confirmed his move to the Toronto Raptors. ### Q: Can the penalty be appealed? **A:** No. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized that the penalty is final and not subject to appeal.