The NBA's Clippers penalty: five first-round picks, $30M, and a year off for Ballmer.
The league says the Clippers circumvented the cap through a $28M Aspiration endorsement deal with Kawhi Leonard.
- The team: Forfeits its 2029 to 2033 first-round picks, pays a $30M fine, and enters five years of league compliance monitoring.
- The people: Steve Ballmer and Gillian Zucker are suspended for a year, Lawrence Frank for six months, and Leonard's uncle Dennis Robertson is barred from NBA business for five years.
- The player: Leonard is fined $700K, not suspended, and says he signed in good faith. His trade to Toronto, on hold since June, is expected to go through.