Less than two weeks ago the Clippers dismissed the NBA’s findings as a “heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative.” That posture is gone.

In a statement shared over the weekend, principal owner Steve Ballmer apologised to fans, employees and the league’s other owners for what he called “the distraction and distress this matter has caused.” He said the franchise has “complied with the penalties assessed by the league, [has] paid the fine, and [is] moving forward.”

He did not, however, concede the underlying findings. “While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus,” Ballmer said in the statement, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and carried by CNBC.

What the NBA found

The league announced its penalties on 2 September after a year-long inquiry conducted by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Investigators concluded that the Clippers had directed off-court endorsement money to Leonard through four corporate partners, Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance, and that team business had been used as inducement for those companies to sign the forward.

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The trigger was reporting in 2025 by journalist Pablo Torre into Leonard’s contract with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, a firm whose co-founder was later sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for defrauding investors of nearly $250 million.

The punishment is among the heaviest cap-related penalties in league history:

• Los Angeles Clippers: $30 million fine, forfeiture of five first-round draft picks (2029 through 2033) and a five-year compliance monitoring programme.
• Steve Ballmer: one-year ban from all league and team activities.
• Gillian Zucker, president of business operations: one-year unpaid suspension.
• Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations: six-month unpaid suspension.
• Kawhi Leonard: $700,000 in restitution, no suspension.
• Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s business manager and uncle: five-year ban from conducting business with NBA teams.

Commissioner Adam Silver said in the league’s statement that “the severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”

Leonard puts the blame on his uncle

Leonard’s own statement was short and pushed the responsibility outward.

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“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” he said in a public statement.

He added that he had entered into his Clippers contract and the endorsement agreements “in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.”

Toronto trade back in play

The US Department of Justice has opened its own inquiry into the Aspiration transactions, so the case is not yet closed for the Clippers even with the league process behind them.

Attention on the basketball side turns to Leonard’s future in Los Angeles. Reports in June had the Clippers agreeing a trade to send him back to the Toronto Raptors, with the deal placed on hold while the investigation ran. With Leonard fined but not suspended and Ballmer no longer contesting the ruling, the Raptors are reportedly ready to submit the trade to the league for approval.

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Sources: – [NBA announces penalties and findings arising from investigation of LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard](https://www.nba.com/news/nba-investigation-findings-la-clippers) – [Clippers docked 5 first-round draft picks and fined $30 million following Kawhi Leonard probe (CNN)](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/sport/clippers-kawhi-leonard-nba-investigation) – [Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Dennis Robertson banned for 5 years by NBA (ClutchPoints)](https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-uncle-dennis-robertson-banned-5-years-nba) – [Aspiration Partners Co-Founder Sentenced to Prison for $248M Scheme (DOJ)](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/aspiration-partners-co-founder-sentenced-prison-248m-scheme-defraud-investors-and-lenders)

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