The basketball gods were doing the Los Angeles Lakers a favor in 2019 when Kawhi Leonard chose to sign with the Clippers in free agency. The sting of not landing him was quickly forgotten, as LA went on to win it all the next season, with the Lakers getting the last laugh, but as it turns out, they've gotten to enjoy a lot more laughs, with the biggest of all coming on September, 2, 2026 (yes, today).
The NBA announced punishments stemming from its year-long investigation into the Clippers' cap circumvention scandal involving Kawhi. ESPN's Shams Charania tweeted that the team will lose five first-round picks and that Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Gillian Zucker will each face suspensions. Ballmer will also be fined $30 million.
BREAKING: The NBA has ruled on the Los Angeles Clippers in for salary cap circumvention investigations on Kawhi Leonard after yearlong probe -- stripping the franchise of 5 first-round picks, issuing a $30 million fine to owner Steve Ballmer and suspensions for Ballmer, Lawrence… pic.twitter.com/JCV5bI88BE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2026
NBA insider Marc Stein added that Ballmer will be suspended from team and league activities for one year, Zucker (the president of business operations) will be suspended without pay for one year, and Frank (the president of basketball operations) will be suspended without pay for six months.
The NBA has stripped the LA Clippers of five future first-round picks and assessed a $30 million fine to owner Steve Ballmer among a string of salary cap circumvention penalties. pic.twitter.com/fpardW63d9
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 2, 2026
The main focus, though, isn't just that Leonard got off with a $700,000 fine (no suspension), but that the Clippers will forfeit their 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 draft picks. Five first-round picks! Five!
Clippers found guilty of circumventing salary cap for Kawhi
It wasn't worth it for the Lakers to sign Leonard in the first place, especially after his agent and uncle, Dennis Robertson, reportedly asked for partial ownership of the team, a private plane, a house, and an off-court endorsement deal.
What kind of team would be willing to circumvent the salary cap for Kawhi and still fail to clean up their tracks with a no-show sponsorship deal/s? The Clippers, of course. Ballmer thought that he could outsmart the league, but it turns out Pablo Torre is smarter. Investigative journalism for the win!
All the Lakers can do is sit back and laugh, knowing the Clippers mortgaged their future (remember, they traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a slew of first-round picks to get Paul George at Kawhi's request) for a player who didn't even help them achieve their goal of winning a championship. They cheated for nothing.
Rarely has there been much to look forward to as a Clippers fan, but now, there's quite literally nothing, as they can't even look ahead to the future. It doesn't exist.
The Lakers have always run Los Angeles, and even with their second ownership change in a year, they reign supreme.
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