Clippers Lose Five Draft Picks, Steve Ballmer Suspended For One Year For Violating Salary Cap

By Dana Gauruder | at September 2, 2026 3:34 pm The NBA has imposed major penalties on the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard for violating the salary-cap circumvention rules, the league has announced in a press release. The penalties were imposed after a lengthy investigation regarding an alleged no-show job for Leonard with a now-defunct company Aspiration. The Clippers shall forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA drafts. The Clippers are fined $30MM. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking...