The Los Angeles Clippers have named Los Angeles-based lawyer John Gibson as the franchise’s interim governor and CEO, according to Shams Charania.
Gibson’s appointment comes after Clippers owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension from the NBA following the league’s investigation into salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard and four companies doing business with the franchise.
The NBA fined the Clippers $30 million and stripped the organization of its first-round picks from 2029 through 2033. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months without pay, while business president Gillian Zucker received a one-year suspension.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league wanted the penalties to carry competitive consequences without causing permanent damage to the franchise.
“I don’t think in any way we’ve done permanent damage to this franchise, but there’s no question this is a setback for the team,” Silver said on September 15.
Silver also confirmed that the Clippers were not represented at the NBA Board of Governors meetings because the franchise was in the process of appointing an interim governor. Gibson’s appointment now addresses that vacancy.
The leadership changes also extend to the Clippers’ basketball operations. General manager Trent Redden and senior vice president and assistant general manager Mark Hughes are expected to serve as the franchise’s primary basketball decision-makers while Frank serves his suspension.
Redden has previous championship experience, having been part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office when they won their first NBA championship in 2016.
The new basketball structure has already handled a major transaction. Redden was authorized to complete the long-delayed trade sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors on September 14.
The Clippers received Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-round picks for Leonard. The deal had initially been agreed upon June 30 but remained incomplete for more than two months amid the NBA investigation.
The Clippers now enter a new phase with Ingram, two-time All-Star Darius Garland and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler among the key pieces of the roster, while Tyronn Lue remains head coach.
The franchise’s draft capital has also been significantly reduced by the NBA’s penalties. In addition to the five forfeited first-round picks, the Clippers already have their 2027 and 2028 first-round selections tied up in swaps.
Ballmer recently announced that the Clippers had paid the $30 million fine and would comply with the league’s penalties, although he said the organization continued to disagree with parts of the NBA’s findings.
