Category: Sports News

The NBA has handed down one of the biggest punishments in the history of the league to the Los Angeles Clippers after finding that the franchise circumvented salary cap rules when it courted Kawhi Leonard as a free agent.

The league has stripped the team of five first-round draft picks, giving the team no natural pick in the draft from 2029 through 2033.

The NBA also fined the Clippers $30m, and suspended owner Steve Ballmer from all league and team activities for a year. In addition, it issued suspensions without pay to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (six months) and president of business operations Gillian Zucker (one year) for their involvement in the scheme.

Related: Luka Dončić looks like a superstar adrift at the Lakers

Leonard was also fined $700,000. The Clippers agreed to trade the seven-time All-Star to the Toronto Raptors earlier this summer, but the deal had been put on hold pending the completion of the NBA’s investigation. Leonard is due to make $50m in salary this season, while Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft, has an estimated wealth of $152.7bn, according to Forbes.

“The NBA’s collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is a fundamental component of the basketball competition that the league oversees for the benefit of the teams and players and ultimately the fans,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”

In a statement through his agent, Leonard said he took “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. I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question 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.”

The Clippers said they would challenge the investigation’s findings “through every avenue available to us” and looked “forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process”.

“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” the team said in a statement. “What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure it’s fairness and accuracy.

“For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence.”

New York law firm Wachtell Lipton conducted the NBA’s investigation into the matter after reporting by journalist Pablo Torre last year.

Torre, citing legal documents, claimed Ballmer employed Leonard for a nonexistent role in a company Ballmer had invested in to circumvent the NBA salary cap, which punishes teams for spending too much on player salaries.

Torre claims that Ballmer partly funded a now defunct tree-planting company called Aspiration. That company then allegedly entered into a $28m agreement with KL2 Aspire, LLC, a company owned by Leonard.

Torre says he could find no evidence that Leonard ever performed any work for Aspiration, and there was a clause in the contract between KL2 Aspire and Aspiration effectively allowed Leonard to be paid even if he did no work. Another clause said the deal would be voided if Leonard left the Clippers. One former employee of Aspiration told Torre he had heard the deal with Leonard had been set up to “circumvent the salary cap.”

Wachtell Lipton’s report concluded that the Clippers broke NBA rules after “initiating off-court income opportunities between Mr Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance; facilitating endorsement agreements between these companies and Mr Leonard; inducing the companies to enter into these agreements by offering them business from the team; paying personal expenses on behalf of Mr Leonard and his representatives; and failing to report improper solicitations for off-court income opportunities made on Mr Leonard’s behalf through his then-business manager, Dennis Robertson.”

Leonard is one of the best players of his generation. The 35-year-old is a two-time NBA champion and was twice the league’s defensive player of the year. He started his career with the San Antonio Spurs before spells with the Raptors and Clippers.

Leonard led the Clippers to the Western Conference finals in the 2020-21 season but they have failed to get beyond the first round of the playoffs since and missed the postseason entirely in 2025-26.

The NBA just brought the hammer down on the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Aspiration Scandal, while Kawhi Leonard will walk away with a hefty fine, but no permanent suspension.

In an earthshattering press release, the National Basketball Association has announced that punishment will indeed be meted out for salary cap circumvention, with the figure at the centre of it all, Kawhi Leonard, landing a $700,000 fine to the league, but otherwise, receiving no serious penalty — yet. Kawhi’s manager, the notorious “Uncle” Dennis Robertson, has received a 5 year ban from involvement in the NBA.

Kawhi himself posted on Instagram, saying that he “accept[s] full responsibility for lapses in judgement made by people within [his] inner circle,” and said that he had “no knowledge” of salary cap circumvention. “As I return to Toronto,” Leonard continued, “I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.”

It seems that from an official perspective, Leonard himself has been able to avoid serious punishment for himself due to this connection, specifically to his manager, Robertson, who in the official NBA release, is described as acting “on Mr. Leonard’s behalf.”

Kawhi Leonard, through his new agent, Harrison Gaines, issues statement:

“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am. I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused… https://t.co/cgWhrjcXuR

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2026

Charania, in his own tweet, notes that Leonard is now being represented by Harrison Gaines, former college basketball player.

Steve Balmer, owner of the Clippers, has been suspended for a year, specifically for his dealings with Aspiration. A number of other Clippers executives were also suspended, namely Gillian Zucker, President of Basketball Operations and Lawrence Frank, who bears the same title. The most serious penalty comes to the Clippers organization, who will be forced to forfeit five first-round picks, from 2029-2044, meaning that they will not control their own picks for the next eight years. “I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules,” said Adam Silver, “and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct.”

While this is the most concrete thing to come out of the NBA’s investigation, it seems that this controversy is far from over.

🚨 BREAKING: The SEC has opened an investigation into Daktronics concerning Kawhi Leonard, according to the scoreboard-maker's CFO on their earnings call today.

This is in addition to requests for information, related to the Clippers, from the NBA.

"The Securities and Exchange… https://t.co/TTBfIFU22s

— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) September 2, 2026

Pablo Torre, the journalist who initially broke news on the scandal, has announced today that the American Securities and Exchange Commission will be investigating another company implicated in impropriety involving Kawhi Leonard, Daktronics, who make the scoreboards for the Clippers.

What does this mean for the Raptors?

With seemingly no suspension incoming for Leonard, it can be expected that the Raptors are much more likely to finalize the trade for the Klaw, officially parting ways with Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. Additional punishment is certainly possible, with today’s ruling from the NBA potentially an attempt to clear the air ahead of the preseason and training camp, rather than the organization officially bringing to an attend all investigations. Potential challenges from the Player’s Association were anticipated, but the NBA has noted that the two groups are in agreement regarding the decision.

It didn’t take Kawhi Leonard long to respond to the NBA’s ruling that Los Angeles Clippers violated the league’s salary cap circumvention rules by initiating off-court sponsorship deals for him. 

“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am. 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,” Leonard’s Instagram story post wrote minutes after news of the NBA’s investigation was made public.

Leonard will have to pay $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits by the Clippers, but won’t have his contract voided or suspended.

“I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question 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,” Leonard’s post added.

“For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate,” it continued.

Kawhi Leonard has released a statement following the NBA’s announcement on the Clippers investigation. pic.twitter.com/X1zCspZyjt

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) September 2, 2026

There’s a strong case to be made that Leonard was let off relatively easy. And as he alluded to, this investigation concluding means that he’s free to join the Toronto Raptors, which has been the worst-kept secret in the league.

It will be interesting to see what the reaction to Leonard’s punishment is.

The NBA’s long investigation into Kawhi Leonard’s cap circumvention scandal is finally over, and the league has decided to hammer the Los Angeles Clippers. ESPN insider Shams Charania first reported the punishment, and it threatens to set back the Clippers for the next decade.

The NBA is stripping the Clippers of five future first-round picks for Leonard’s no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration, a carbon emissions offset company. Owner Steve Ballmer, general manager Lawrence Frank, and president of business operations Gillian Zucker will all be suspended, and Ballmer will be fined $30 million.

The Clippers are losing a first-round pick in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033, according to Charania. Ballmer is being suspended for one year, Zucker is being suspended without pay for a year, and Frank will be suspended for six months without pay. Here’s how Charania framed the suspensions in his Twitter post:

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard, and for his failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumvention rules. Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for one year for being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators. Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for six months for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family.

I wrote a year ago that the NBA couldn’t go soft on the Clippers if it wanted to deter future teams from trying to circumvent the salary cap in the second apron era. A few weeks ago, ESPN reported that the Clippers would evade a harsh punishment, which the league quickly refuted. Clearly, the NBA did not go soft on the Clippers. This is about as close to a “death penalty” as the league could issue. The next decade of Clippers basketball is going to be in a dark place without all those draft picks to trade or use themselves.

The Clippers announced they will challenge the NBA’s ruling:

The Clippers announce that they “vehemently reject” the NBA’s conclusions and sanctions” and say “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.” pic.twitter.com/gWzWdzkyz3

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 2, 2026

Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors over the offseason. Assuming that deal now officially goes through, the Clippers will be able to retain the future draft picks they received from the Raptors in the deal, because they don’t technically own them at the time of the punishment. The Clippers scored Toronto’s 2031 and 2033 unprotected first-round draft picks in the deal. Los Angeles is being stripped of the Indiana Pacers’ 2029 unprotected first-round pick it received in Feb. for Ivica Zubac, according to Zach Lowe, but the pick won’t be returned to the Pacers.

The investigation into Leonard was started by journalist Pablo Torre. This ruling is a massive victory for Torre’s journalism. He continued to report on the story over the last year, and kept finding loose threads that ultimately led to this punishment. The investigation was done by law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

Here’s the full list of Collective Bargaining Agreement rules the Clippers broke in dealing with Leonard.

CBA rules broken by the Clippers (per NBA):

Affirmatively initiating off-court income opportunities between Mr. Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance;

Facilitating endorsement agreements…

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 2, 2026

Ballmer initially invested $50 million in Aspiration to help offset carbon emissions from the building of the team’s new arena, the Intuit Dome. Aspiration agreed to a $300 million sponsorship deal with the Clippers, and then Leonard agree to an endorsement contract with Aspiration that paid him $28 million over four years. Torre reported that Leonard’s marketing deal was never announced, and he that he did zero work for his money. Leonard’s $7 annual million deal dwarfed similar deals Aspiration made with celebrities like Robert Downey Jr. and Drake, who actually activated the partnership.

Aspiration was supposed to plant trees to offset carbon emissions, and Leonard was their highly-paid pitchman. Where were the trees that Leonard was supposed to help plant? They never existed, and he couldn’t even do as much as like a social media post for his troubles in earning $28 million. Leonard’s camp was reportedly asking other suitors for similar no-show endorsement deals during his 2019 free agency, and they finally got caught. The Clippers’ failure to monitor the situation is why they received such a severe punishment while Leonard himself came out mostly unscathed.

Leonard must pay back $700K in restitution for improper benefits. The slight punishment for Leonard was likely done to avoid an appeal from the NBA Player’s Association.

This ruling is pretty embarrassing for ESPN. ESPN did a soft-ball interview with Ballmer shortly after the scandal broke, then missed the mark by saying the Clippers would avoid major punishment. Torre showed ESPN what real journalism looks like even with a fraction of the resources.

Leonard has put out the following statement on social media:

Kawhi statement pic.twitter.com/pENBsT8JAm

— Law Murray 🪛 (@LawMurrayTheNU) September 2, 2026

The league has precedent for this penalty after stripping the Minnesota Timberwolves of five first-round picks for Joe Smith’s cap circumvention scandal in 2000. In that case, Smith’s current contract was void, while Leonard will enter the final year of his own deal before likely signing a lucrative extension with the Raptors.

The Clippers went all out to sign Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019, and all they have to show for it is one trip to the conference finals. Pairing Leonard and George has now cost the Clippers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 10 first-round picks, and two swaps after the punishment.

The tally for the Clippers getting Kawhi is now 10 first-round picks, two-swaps and SGA https://t.co/qi7S4XLNfA

— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) September 2, 2026

We’ll update this story as it develops.

The NBA has dropped the hammer on Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. And now, the Toronto Raptors must assess what they will do next.

A league-backed investigation that spanned 11 months concluded the Clippers circumvented the salary cap with its alleged facilitation of "no-show" endorsement deals for Leonard, their former star forward, the NBA announced Wednesday, Sept. 2 in a news release.

The Clippers are being fined a staggering $30 million, and the team will forfeit five first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA drafts. Leonard has been fined $700,000, payable to the NBA, though he avoids any suspension. The league, however, is suspending Ballmer, the team's owner, from all league activities for one year.

Additionally, Leonard's uncle, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from conducting business with NBA teams on behalf of any player for five years. Robertson was a key liaison in the endorsement deals between Leonard and the Clippers.

According to the release, The NBA and National Basketball Players Association "have entered into an agreement confirming these penalties are final and binding on all parties." Essentially, this signifies that both parties agreed to not appeal the decision.

Leonard denied any knowledge of wrongdoing and said he will accept the penalties.

"Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am," Leonard said Wednesday in a statement released through his agent. "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. I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question 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.

"For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate."

The Clippers, however, promised to "vigorously challenge" the decision.

"We vehemently reject the NBA's findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence," the Clippers said Wednesday in a statement. "What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of the investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy."

The Clippers also noted their full cooperation and good faith during the investigation in a vow to demonstrate their innocence.

"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," the team said.

Although initial reporting surrounding the matter focused on Leonard's endorsement deals with a now-defunct green financial services company called Aspiration and, later, Daktronics, the investigation uncovered two additional endorsement deals with Boingo Wireless and Lockton Insurance.

The NBA had contracted the New York-based firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz – which it has used in the past for other investigations – to lead the inquiry. Over the past several weeks, the NBA had been discussing the findings of the investigation with the involved parties.

Additionally, the NBA said Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker has been suspended one year without pay for being the primary contact to arrange the endorsement deals and for "providing false and misleading statements to investigators."

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank will be suspended six months without pay for his involvement in the matter and for "approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family."

The Clippers will also be subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the NBA league office for five years.

The Clippers and Raptors had agreed June 30 to a deal that would to send Leonard to the Raptors, but both franchises each released statements July 9, indicating that the execution of the trade was being delayed until the investigation had concluded. Both teams also acknowledged that the NBA contacted each party and said the trade "can only be finalized if the Raptors' ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi’s contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation."

With that in mind, the Raptors said they would wait until the conclusion of the investigation. Now that it's wrapped up, Toronto will need to determine how to move forward, though Leonard's avoidance of a suspension appears to clear the way for the deal to be completed.

This also signals a steep rebuke for Ballmer and the Clippers and marks their second such violation since he took over the franchise in 2014. Essentially, the ruling presents a significant blow to Los Angeles in a direct rejection of the franchise's account of the event.

"The NBA’s collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is a fundamental component of the basketball competition that the league oversees for the benefit of the teams and players and ultimately the fans," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday in a statement. "I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers' institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations."

The Clippers had previously denied the allegations, calling them "absurd."

The Clippers have undergone a youth movement as the team continues its rebuild. In February, the team traded James Harden to the Cavaliers and, in a different deal, Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. The Leonard deal earlier this summer signaled a desire to build for the future. Los Angeles finished ninth in the Western Conference with a 42-40 record and lost in the Play-In Tournament to miss the postseason.

In exchange for Leonard, the Clippers are set to receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-round picks.

What led to investigation of Clippers, Kawhi Leonard

Sports reporter Pablo Torre of "Pablo Torre Finds Out" hosted an episode of his show that published Sept. 3, 2025, in which he outlined the allegations. At the center of the case was the now-bankrupt "green" financial services company called Aspiration.

Torre uncovered thousands of pages of legal documents, including a contract signed by Leonard for $28 million over a four-year term to market and endorse Aspiration, which previously received a significant investment from Ballmer.

In the contract, a clause states that KL2 Aspire LLC, a company managed by Leonard, could "decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company," which set up a framework for Leonard to potentially receive payments without performing any work. Another clause states that Leonard would receive payments only if he continued to be a player on the Clippers.

Then, on Sept. 11, Torre reported that a December 2022 payment of $1.75 million to Leonard that had been running late, was made just nine days after a company led by Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong invested in Aspiration.

Silver publicly addressed the allegations against the Clippers in September 2025 and said he had "very broad power" to levy any penalties against the franchise, though he stressed that the league would exercise caution during the investigation.

"In the case of the league, we and our investigators look at the totality of the evidence," Silver said then. "Whether mere appearance – just by the way the words read, as a matter of fundamental fairness – I would be reluctant to act if there was a mere appearance of impropriety. I think the goal of the investigation is to find out if there was impropriety."

Back in August 2015 – a year after Ballmer’s purchase of the team was finalized – the NBA fined the Clippers $250,000 for "violating NBA rules prohibiting teams from offering players unauthorized business or investment opportunities" in their pursuit of then-free agent center DeAndre Jordan.

Aspiration had struck an agreement to be a team sponsor of the Clippers from 2021-23. Aspiration filed for bankruptcy in March 2025, and the company is facing a federal fraud probe.

Co-founder Joseph Sanberg was charged in early August 2025 and pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, the Department of Justice said. Per the DOJ, Sanberg defrauded investors of more than $248 million. On June 2, 2026, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA fines Clippers $30M, drops hammer on Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard: Live updates

After a year-long investigation, the NBA ruled that the Clippers violated the league’s salary cap circumvention rules by “initiating off-court income opportunities” for star forward Kawhi Leonard with four different companies that did business with the team.

And the punishments were harsh.

As a result of the investigation, the Clippers have been stripped of five first-round picks, were issued a $30 million fine and the league suspended owner Steve Ballmer, President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank for various periods.

Leonard will have to pay the league $700,000 while his uncle and former business representative, Dennis Robertson, is being banned by the NBA from all business dealings for five years.

The independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, found a “pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules,” per the league’s statement.

“The NBA’s collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is a fundamental component of the basketball competition that the league oversees for the benefit of the teams and players and ultimately the fans,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”

The five first-round picks the Clippers are losing are for their selections in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033.

Ballmer has been suspended from all league and team activities for one year for “knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities”, according to the NBA.

The league added that Ballmer approved a business deal with Aspiration because he knew it was a “precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard.” Ballmer was also punished for his “and for his “failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumvention rules.”

Zucker has been suspended without pay for one year for being “primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators”, while Frank was suspended without pay for six months for his “involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family.”

Frank and Zucker received different punishments because Zucker made several statements that were “inconsistent” with other documents and witness statements, while Frank “consistent” during his interviews with investigators, according to summary report by Wachtell Lipton.

Leonard violated the cap circumvention rules, through the conduct of Robertson, by “pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities, and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses.”

Wachtell Lipton found that the Clippers initiated off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance.

The law firm added that the Clippers facilitated endorsement agreements between those companies and Leonard.

The NBA’s announcement on Wednesday stated: 

“The investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules. As described in a summary report prepared by Wachtell Lipton…the Clippers broke the rules by:

• Affirmatively initiating off-court income opportunities between Mr. Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance;
• Facilitating endorsement agreements between these companies and Mr. Leonard;
• Inducing the companies to enter into these agreements by offering them business from the team;
• Paying personal expenses on behalf of Mr. Leonard and his representatives; and
• Failing to report improper solicitations for off-court income opportunities made on Mr. Leonard’s behalf through his then-business manager, Dennis Robertson.”

The announcement continued: 

“Mr. Leonard, through the conduct of Mr. Robertson on his behalf, violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities, and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses.

Based on this misconduct, the NBA has imposed the following penalties:

• The Clippers shall forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA Drafts.
• The Clippers are fined $30 million.
• Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard, and for his failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumvention rules.
• Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for one year for being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators.
• Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for six months for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family.
• The Clippers organization and personnel are subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office for a period of five years.
• In connection with his violations, Mr. Leonard is required to pay the league $700,000.
• Mr. Robertson is banned from conducting business or otherwise engaging with NBA teams and their affiliates on behalf of or with respect to any player, employee, or other league or team personnel for a period of five years.”

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Chris Paul may be retired, but “Lob City” apparently travels well.

The Clippers legend recreated a little of his most entertaining NBA era while vacationing on a yacht with fellow retired point guard Russell Westbrook, as the two future Hall of Famers took turns throwing and finishing alley-oops on a hoop set up on the deck.

Paul shared the moment on social media with a simple caption: “Retirement…”

The getaway had actually been in the works before either player surfaced on the high seas.

Former NBA forward Matt Barnes recently revealed on the “All the Smoke” podcast that Paul and Westbrook planned to vacation together with their wives to celebrate the end of their careers.

“They’re taking their wives on a vacation,” Barnes said. “Two of the greatest PGs going to go kick their feet up in the sand, have some drinks and really just celebrate.”

Apparently, some pickup basketball still made the itinerary.

Paul first lobbed one to Westbrook before the roles were reversed, giving the longtime Clippers star another taste of the aerial basketball that defined his six seasons in Los Angeles alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Paul’s return to the Clippers ended far less gracefully. The franchise abruptly sent him home during a road trip in December before eventually trading him to the Raptors. He never played for Toronto and retired in February after 21 NBA seasons.

Westbrook joined him months later, ending his 18-year NBA career as a former MVP, nine-time All-Star and the league’s career triple-double leader.

The two also share an unusual piece of NBA history: They were traded for each other in the 2019 blockbuster that sent Westbrook to Houston and Paul to Oklahoma City.

Now they’re exchanging lobs instead of teams.

No defenders. No standings. No 82-game grind.

Just throwing down monster dunks with an ocean view.

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Jaylen Brown's Boston farewell party felt right originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For the past decade, Jaylen Brown meant a lot to the city of Boston. Yet as is often the case when a player gets traded away, his departure was a bit unceremonious.

After having his name floated in trade rumors multiple times over multiple years, Brown was dealt away to Philadelphia in early July, ending his 10-year career with the Celtics.

Unlike most athletes, though, Brown decided to give himself the chance to say goodbye on his own terms, hosting a block party on Boston Common over the weekend. The turnout was impressive and the vibes were positive, as Brown and the fans in attendance shared their mutual appreciation for each other throughout the day.

Celtics insider Chris Forsberg was in attendance for the event and found it to be a meaningful experience.

“It was still super fun to see the way that Boston turned out for Jaylen,” Forsberg said on the latest Celtics Talk Podcast. “And one thing I think that struck me is that it was a reminder how much he meant to the city — the city that he really, more than maybe any player in my time here, tried to wrap his arms around and was so involved. And so when it ends with Mayor [Michelle] Wu coming out and giving him the street sign for Jaylen Brown Way and saying maybe at some point down the road this will be a real thing, then getting the key to the city, it was — I was surprisingly moved by everything that went down.”

Kayla Burton added that the abrupt end of Brown’s Celtics career never felt right, making this unique celebration feel appropriate.

“It didn’t feel right. … I just felt like they didn’t do him right. We didn’t do him right in terms of the farewell goodbye,” Burton said. “So I’m glad this happened because it did kind of solidify the, ‘Thank you, Jaylen, for giving your blood, sweat and tears to the city of Boston.’

“He’s done so much,” Burton continued. “When you look at the Celtics and when you think of specific players that really are heavily involved in the Boston community, his name is at the top of the list. He is so involved, going to schools, Harvard, MIT, being at community centers, going to help the Boys and Girls Clubs around Boston. … So it’s more than just the basketball aspect. And that’s why I think that was that moving part too, is because he’s trying to create this Black Wall Street and doing so many things for young boys, young girls of color, and it means something to the city of Boston. So there is that element of it too, which is why I think it was as moving as it was.”

Both Forsberg and Burton believe Brown’s No. 7 will hang in the rafters at TD Garden after his playing career ends, but that’s a conversation for another day. For now, it can be stated with no doubt that Brown is now the rare athlete to be traded away from Boston while managing to gain some level of closure.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I do really love international basketball. Really, I love all forms of national-team events. It’s the reason I watch the World Cup religiously and ignore soccer’s existence for much of the following four years. It’s why I tune in to a lot of sports I usually wouldn’t during the Olympics, both summer and winter. Basketball is no exception, except it’s a sport I do actually watch quite a lot.

It’s a good thing this isn’t a big international basketball summer, as the Knicks are enjoying their offseason following their historic playoff run and third NBA championship. The next two summers, though, are full of it. The FIBA World Cup will take place in Qatar next summer and will determine who plays at the 2028 LA Olympics.

You do have to qualify for that, however, which is what’s gone on this summer. Dozens of countries around the globe are taking to the court in hopes of qualifying for the FIBA World Cup, a place that these nations almost have to be at to even have a chance of calling themselves Olympians.

As such, many NBA players are getting reps in this offseason overseas, particularly the Euros. Just look at Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama squaring off in a heated game during a qualifer to a qualifier in the middle of the offseason:

Two current Knicks and three former Knicks* competed in the most recent window of games across the world, so let’s check in on them and how they balled out for their country:

Pacome Dadiet (Ivory Coast)

Dadiet is a native of France; that much is true, but he was born to Ivorian immigrants along the southern coast, just outside of Nice, so he elected to represent Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). This was actually his senior national team debut after playing for France as a teenager.

Ivory Coast entered the second round of qualification in a very good spot with a 5-1 record that carries over into Group F. With the window’s games being played in Dakar, Senegal, the Ivorians first squared off with Mali last Thursday, winning a narrow 83-77 result.

Dadiet, playing alongside his older brother, Maxence, for the first time, had nine points and nine rebounds, going 4-for-12 from the field and 1-for-8 from three. What the Knicks will like here are the five offensive rebounds, something the team might need some help with after the departure of Mitchell Robinson.

On Saturday, they faced off with Egypt and won another close contest, 72-66. Dadiet scored 13 points with six rebounds in 25 minutes, going 5-for-15 from the field and 3-for-7 from deep, while the team lost his minutes by 12 points.

Ivory Coast re-took the court the next day on Sunday for a game against Angola and got blown out, losing 91-70 to conclude the August window. Dadiet had 10 points, seven assists, and five rebounds across 31 minutes, going 2-for-9 from the field and missing all four of his threes. The jumper still isn’t there right now.

As with every other FIBA Qualifier, the remaining three dates will all be in the February 2027 window, meaning any NBA talent will have no control over what their country does from here. Ivory Coast sits at 7-2 and would likely only need to win one of their final three games to get to Qatar.

Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico)

The only Olympian on the current Knicks’ roster, Alvarado played for his father’s country in Paris back in 2024 and continues to represent them on the international stage. Unfortunately for Alvarado, the prospects of getting back to Paris are increasingly slim.

Puerto Rico advanced by the slimmest of margins in Group B with a paltry 2-4 record, which unfortunately carried over into Group F play in the second round. In the two games in the August window, where Alvarado was able to participate, they could not manage a win.

The first game last Thursday against Argentina got away from them in the second half, as they lost 89-75 in Mar de Plata. Alvarado had 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists, but also committed five turnovers in 36 minutes of work, going 7-for-15 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep. As the clear focal point of the offense, he was consistently targeted.

On Monday, P.R. stayed in South America, visiting Uruguay in Montevideo and losing 80-75, falling behind early and never recovering. Once again playing considerable minutes, Alvarado was held to just three points on 1-for-9 shooting, but dished out nine assists with just two turnovers in 33 minutes of action, posting a positive plus-minus.

With four matchdays remaining in November and February, Puerto Rico is going to have to likely win at least three to have a shot at the FIBA World Cup, sitting at 2-6 with the Bahamas currently sitting in fourth at 4-4 as the last team in.

Dillon Jones (USA)

Does Dillon Jones count as a current Knick or is he an OAKAAK? The two-time NBA champion is currently a free agent, but is a strong contender to take one of the team’s open two-way spots after participating in Summer League. Nonetheless, he’s in the gray area… for now.

The state of USA Basketball is as follows. We care a lot about the Olympics; we care a bit about FIBA; we don’t give a damn about anything else. Unlike other countries, which have some of their best and brightest playing these qualifiers, Team USA is currently a smorgasbord of ex-college stars and guys with brief stints in the league. Here’s who Jones was teammates with this week. All of these would qualify as “good pulls” if you want to prove your ball knowledge:

• Mike James – former Brooklyn Net teammate of KD and Kyrie
• Jaron Blossomgame – 27 career games with the 2019 Cavs, All-ACC guard at Clemson
• Cole Swider – former Laker who split time at Syracuse and Villanova in college
• DeJon Jarreau – All-AAC guard for Houston who’s played 26 career NBA games for Memphis and Indiana
• Kevon Harris – played 36 games for Orlando, Stephen F. Austin grad
• Pedro Bradshaw – played college at Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky
• Darius Brown II – UDFA out of Utah State who played three minutes for Cleveland on February 24th
• Tyler Smith – 33rd pick by the Bucks in 2024, 35 career games
• James Nunnally – 37 career games from 2013-21 with five teams. Best known for being the worst card in NBA 2k16
• Garrison Brooks – started for UNC and Mississippi State across a five-year collegiate career. Was a Knick for three days in September 2022
• Orlando Robinson – 115 games for four teams

I mean, look at this group.

They started the August window last Thursday in Santiago against Chile, riding a Swider 19-point game to a blowout victory. Jones didn’t play much, only four minutes where he had a rebound and an assist.

Four days later, on Monday, they came home to face Colombia in Washington, D.C., where they won 102-80. Jones again played only four minutes, scoring two points with a rebound and an assist.

While already qualified for the Olympics by being the host country, the U.S. will want revenge after a terrible 2023 World Cup showing, so these are still important to them. With four matchdays remaining, the Americans are firmly on top with a 7-1 record, as close to clinched as possible. They won’t need any NBA talent for this.

OAKAAK Corner

Mamadi Diakite (Guinea) – Guinea went 4-2 in Round 1 and took two of their three games in the August window, with the former Knick being a big part of them being on track to compete in Qatar next summer.

He had 14-11-6 in a bad shooting game in the loss against South Sudan, but rebounded to put up 11-4-4 with five stocks in the win over Cabo Verde, while posting 12-5-5 with four stocks against Cameroon.

Diakite played seven total games as a Knick in 2023-24, including four in the postseason in garbage time, as the rotating 15th roster spot. He currently plays in Dubai.

Willy Hernangomez (Spain): There is no Knick from the late-2010s dark ages that I have more of a heart for than Hernangomez, who I believed in way too much. Spain went 5-1 in the first round and looked as formidable as ever entering Group E play, but have hit a major roadbump.

Willy, playing alongside his brother Juancho, scored seven points with two rebounds in a 95-89 loss to Portugal to open the August window, before being held off the board in just eight minutes of play in an overtime loss to a Giannis-less Greece.