The LA Clippers have strongly rejected the NBA’s findings and penalties stemming from the league’s investigation into alleged salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard, calling the process biased and vowing to challenge the ruling.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Clippers said they “vehemently reject” the NBA’s conclusions, arguing that the investigation was designed to support a predetermined narrative rather than fairly evaluate the evidence.
“What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly,” the Clippers said, adding that the NBA failed to meet the standard of fairness and accuracy Commissioner Adam Silver established when the investigation began.
The Clippers also emphasized their cooperation throughout the process and said they now intend to contest the findings through every available avenue.
“For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence,” the team said. “We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”
According to Shams Charania, the Clippers’ options to challenge the NBA’s ruling are limited to the courts.
The NBA announced earlier Wednesday that the Clippers and Leonard violated the league’s salary-cap circumvention rules following an independent investigation conducted by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
According to the NBA, the investigation uncovered a “pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations.” The league said the Clippers initiated and facilitated off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance.
The NBA also said the Clippers induced companies to enter endorsement agreements with Leonard by offering them team business, while the organization paid personal expenses for Leonard and his representatives.
The penalties are among the most severe imposed by the NBA. Los Angeles must forfeit its first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA Drafts and pay a $30 million fine.
Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension from all league and team activities, while president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month unpaid suspension.
Leonard was fined $700,000, while his former business manager, Dennis Robertson, received a five-year ban from conducting business with NBA teams and affiliates on behalf of players or league personnel. The Clippers will also operate under a five-year league compliance and monitoring program.
The NBA and NBPA agreed that the penalties are final and binding, although the league said Wachtell Lipton will continue receiving relevant information and further action remains possible.
The dispute comes after Leonard’s final season with the Clippers. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors during the offseason after averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 games during 2025-26.
Leonard shot 50.5% from the field, 38.7% from three-point range and 89.2% from the free-throw line while earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing seventh in MVP voting.
The Clippers finished 42-40 and ninth in the Western Conference last season before beginning a major roster reset. Leonard is now back with Toronto, while Los Angeles faces the financial and draft consequences of the NBA’s ruling.
