NBA suspends Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, fines Kawhi Leonard in salary cap scandal

Key Points:

• The NBA has imposed severe penalties on the Los Angeles Clippers for salary cap circumvention, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million, and forcing the forfeiture of five draft picks.
• Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was banned for six months, and team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year due to their roles in the violations.
• The penalties stem from a nearly yearlong investigation into a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, a company involved in fraud and bankruptcy.
• The Clippers vehemently deny wrongdoing, calling the investigation biased and vowing to challenge the findings through arbitration, while the NBA maintains the sanctions are final and binding.
• Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors has been delayed pending resolution, and the Clippers will be under a five-year compliance program, with additional bans imposed on Leonard’s former business manager and others involved.