The league's official findings show Leonard pushed the Clippers organization to help him find off-the-court income opportunities. The Clippers did come through on that. The probe began in September 2025 after podcast journalist Pablo Torre reported Leonard's $28 million deal to endorse Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC may have violated league rules.
Draft Picks Forfeited, Ballmer Suspended for a Year
As part of the penalty, the Clippers will also forfeit five first-round draft picks spanning from 2029 to 2033. Team owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from all league and team activities for 12 months due to his involvement in matters connected to Leonard's sponsorship agreements. Leonard himself, a two-time NBA champion, has been fined $700,000 by the league.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was deeply disappointed by what he described as flagrant rule violations committed by the Clippers, adding that the severity of the punishments reflects just how serious the violations were. Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker has also been suspended for one year without pay, after the league determined she had provided misleading statements during the investigation. According to the NBA, its month-long probe uncovered a consistent pattern of misconduct along with multiple significant rule violations by the Clippers organization, which had previously been flagged for salary-cap circumvention issues.
Following the announcement, 35-year-old Leonard issued a statement accepting full responsibility for his actions and expressing regret over the distraction the situation has caused for fans and his family. In a post shared on Instagram, he said he entered his contract with the Clippers, along with the related agreements in question, in good faith and with full intention of honoring his obligations, adding that he had no knowledge that anyone involved intended to circumvent the salary cap. Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, joined the Clippers back in 2019 and spent seven seasons with the franchise before departing earlier this year.
The NBA also confirmed that the Clippers organization and its personnel will now be subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league for the next five years.
Clippers Vow to Appeal, Calling Investigation a "Witch Hunt"
In response to the ruling, the Clippers announced plans to appeal the decision through every available avenue. In an official statement, the team strongly rejected the NBA's findings, describing the investigation as heavily biased and accusing the league of working to justify a predetermined narrative rather than relying on facts and evidence. The statement further claimed that what the league communicated privately differed significantly from its public announcement, arguing that the process fell short of the fairness and accuracy standards Commissioner Silver had promised at the start of the investigation.
With the investigation now concluded, Leonard is expected to move forward with his previously paused trade to the Toronto Raptors. Meanwhile, Ballmer's attorney, David Kelley, released a statement through the Clippers suggesting that both the team and his client had been targeted in what he called a witch hunt, describing the punishments as a gross injustice. Kelley said Ballmer's reputation has been irreparably damaged, noting that he now finds himself entangled not only in this heavily disputed investigation, but also in ongoing civil litigation and the Aspiration bankruptcy proceedings.
