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League: NBASport: BasketballCountry: United StatesCategory: Scores & Results

NBA penalizes Clippers and team officials following investigation into Kawhi Leonard deal

5 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 4, 2026, 2:10 AM

Last updated Sep 4, 2026

NBA penalizes Clippers and team officials following investigation into Kawhi Leonard deal
Summary

The NBA concluded a year-long investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers, finding the organization guilty of violating salary-cap circumvention rules regarding an endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard. The league issued a $30 million fine to the team and docked five first-round draft picks. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension from all league and team activities. Additionally, president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year, and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months. Kawhi Leonard was personally assessed a $700,000 penalty. The investigation into the Aspiration endorsement contract follows criticism of earlier reports from ESPN, which suggested there was no evidence of salary-cap circumvention. With the investigation closed and the contract remaining intact, a pending trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors is expected to proceed.

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By the Numbers
  • •The NBA fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million and removed five first-round picks.
  • •Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league activities for one year.
  • •Gillian Zucker and Lawrence Frank received multi-month suspensions without pay.
  • •Kawhi Leonard faces a $700,000 penalty for his role in the deal.
  • •A stalled trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors will proceed.
Latest Updates
  • 2:10 AMYahoo Sports — Epstein reporter erupts at media over Pablo Torre slight after his Clippers vindication
  • 12:30 AMYahoo Sports — Pablo Torre Sounds Off on the NBA’s Historic Ruling Against the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard and ESPN — and Teases His Next Big Sports Investigation
  • 5:00 PMYahoo Sports — Pablo Torre deserves his victory lap over journalism critics
  • 6:41 AMYahoo Sports — ‘The Laughingstock of Sports Media’ — Clippers Penalty Puts ESPN Under Fire for Losing Pablo Torre While ‘Going All In’ on Pat McAfee, Stephen A. Smith
  • 4:56 AMYahoo Sports — ‘Credibility Is Shot,’ ‘All-Time Rough Sports Journalism Moment’ — Outrage Erupts Over ESPN’s Inaccurate Report on Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Scandal
What they're saying
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Investigative journalist Pablo Torre can finally breathe a sigh of relief after securing a major victory following the NBA’s final verdict on Kawhi Leonard’s controversial endorsement deal saga. As Torre’s reporting gained further validation through the league’s findings and punishments leveled against Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, fans turned their attention to ESPN, bashing the network for letting go of its former writer.

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Pablo Torre is feeling vindicated — sort of. Back in July, Variety spoke with the trailblazing sports journalist about “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” his engrossing podcast, a mélange of chat show and true-crime docuseries wherein Torre breadcrumbs investigative reporting to his pals, and its monthslong, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into how the Los Angeles Clippers were …

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On Wednesday, the NBA brought down the hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers. After an investigation into allegations that the team had circumvented the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard extra money on top of his salary that was on the books, the league concluded that it had “found a pattern of misconduct and multiple…

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