Gillian Zucker, the Los Angeles Clippers' president of business operations, was identified as the individual most responsible for the team's salary cap circumvention, according to an NBA investigation report. Zucker received a one-year suspension and was fined for her "primarily and directly culpable" role in arranging impermissible endorsement deals for star forward Kawhi Leonard with four companies that did business with the team.
The NBA's investigation, conducted by Wachtell Lipton, concluded that the Clippers violated league rules by initiating off-court income opportunities for Leonard. The report detailed Zucker's central role in facilitating these agreements with companies including Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance.
According to the report, Zucker acted as the point person for all four deals and directly initiated, facilitated, and induced each of Leonard's endorsement agreements. Investigators found that Zucker made false and misleading statements about her and the Clippers' involvement.
Zucker's suspension is twice as long as that of Lawrence Frank, the team's president of basketball operations, who received a six-month suspension for his involvement in impermissible endorsement arrangements and approving expenses for Leonard and his family. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer also received a one-year suspension and the franchise was fined $30 million for knowingly seeking to help Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities and for failing to ensure the organization abided by the NBA's rules.
Zucker's name appeared 57 times in the summary report, more than Ballmer and Frank combined, underscoring her direct involvement. The report stated she acted on demands to help Leonard achieve lucrative endorsement opportunities and misled investigators.
Before joining the Clippers in November 2014, shortly after Steve Ballmer purchased the franchise, Zucker had a career in auto racing and baseball. She served as president of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for nine years and previously held positions at Daytona International Speedway and as an assistant general manager for a Triple-A baseball team.
This is not the first time the Clippers have faced league penalties related to salary cap circumvention. In 2015, the franchise was fined $250,000 for violating cap rules when attempting to facilitate an endorsement deal between then-free agent DeAndre Jordan and a team sponsor. Reports at the time suggested Zucker originated the idea for that deal.