09/23/26
September 02, 2026
Clippers Lose 5 First-Round Picks for Cheating Salary Cap: The NBA has taken five first-round picks from the Los Angeles Clippers and $30 million, as well as suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, for circumventing the salary cap when signing Kawhi Leonard four years ago. The league found that Leonard was rewarded with over $28 million in side deals orchestrated by the team. Leonard also has to give back $700,000.
posted by rcade to basketball at 04:59 PM - 11 comments
Losing first-round draft picks is kind of a nice double-whammy. Not only does it make it difficult for them to add young talent, those things are incredibly valuable in the current trade market.
I don't know if this is "appropriate" or not since there isn't much of a precedent set, but yes, hooray for some real-ass consequences.
The article doesn't state this outright: Safe to assume this clears up any remaining obstacles in Kawhi's return to Toronto?
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:41 PM on September 02, 2026
The only similar situation would be Joe Smith and the Timberwolves, right?
5 1st Rd picks (2 returned)
$3.5M fine (largest at time)
Owner suspended 1 year
G.M. resigned
posted by tommybiden at 10:13 AM on September 03, 2026
Why is Kawhi not being punished in any meaningful way? It's not like this happened to him without his consent.
posted by NoMich at 11:15 AM on September 03, 2026
What NoMich said.
Only reason that I can see he gets a simple slap on the wrist (with a wet noodle) is the NBA doesn't want to go to war with the NBPA.
posted by tommybiden at 11:25 AM on September 03, 2026
I don't even want to watch Kawhi play at this point.
Popovich must be thanking his lucky stars that he doesn't have to deal with that guy any more.
Ballmer should be gone for good. Donald Sterling didn't do anything horrible to the mechanics of the league. He was just a terminally toxic racist. Ballmer went deep to play by his own rules and damage the integrity of the league, such as it is.
Most of the articles on this mention how rich Ballmer is. Who cares? He was in the right place at the right time and cashed in. And he's dumber than a garden gnome with his money.
There's only one guy who wants to see Ballmer and other Clips execs reinstated ASAP and that's Sam Presti.
posted by beaverboard at 12:55 PM on September 03, 2026
Only reason that I can see he gets a simple slap on the wrist (with a wet noodle) is the NBA doesn't want to go to war with the NBPA.
I think it's mostly this, combined with Uncle Dennis serving as a fall guy with his five-year suspension, plus the fact that any suspension to Kawhi, even without pay, would inadvertently hurt a Raptors team that is hoping to compete in a very tough Eastern Conference.
We'll never know, of course, but I am curious if there was any sort of negotiation or other behind-the-scenes communications between the vested parties here before the decision was finalized.
Also, how lucky is Adam Silver that it's the Clippers involved and not one of the cornerstone franchises? I can't see him taking a crowbar to the knees of the Lakers, Celtics, or Knicks like this.
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:20 PM on September 03, 2026
Pablo dropped a hint yesterday alluding to the Dodgers. Could it be similar team shenanigans or more to the Ohtani gambling story?
posted by NoMich at 09:12 AM on September 04, 2026
I've been wondering if there's a free-agent signing strategy that could mitigate the catastrophic loss of five first-round picks. Ballmer isn't going to want to let the Clippers endure a 10-year run of futility.
posted by rcade at 10:05 AM on September 04, 2026
I've been wondering if there's a free-agent signing strategy that could mitigate the catastrophic loss of five first-round picks.
If you can sign Mikal Bridges, the Knicks would say you're all even.
posted by beaverboard at 03:13 PM on September 04, 2026
Could it be similar team shenanigans or more to the Ohtani gambling story?
I want it to be team shenanigans.
posted by tommybiden at 08:26 PM on September 04, 2026
Wow! OK. There are consequences. Good.