NBA penalizes Clippers for salary cap circumvention violations

The NBA issued significant sanctions against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday for violating salary cap rules. The league fined the organization $30 million, suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year, and removed five future first-round draft picks. The investigation also resulted in a one-year suspension for president of business operations Gillian Zucker and a six-month suspension for president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. Kawhi Leonard must pay a $700,000 penalty, and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, faces a five-year ban from engaging with league personnel. The league's investigation determined the team initiated and facilitated undisclosed endorsement agreements with third-party companies, including Boingo, Daktronics, and Lockton, to provide compensation to Leonard. The Clippers rejected these findings and indicated plans to challenge the penalties through available avenues.

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