The NBA has levied a record-breaking punishment against the Los Angeles Clippers for salary cap violations, stripping the franchise of five first-round draft picks, fining owner Steve Ballmer $30 million, and suspending Ballmer and two other executives for one year.
The league's investigation, which concluded Wednesday, found that the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules in their 2019 recruitment of star player Kawhi Leonard. The alleged scheme involved a $28 million endorsement deal for a "no-show" job with Aspiration, a now-defunct startup.
These allegations were initially brought to light a year ago by journalist Pablo Torre, host of the podcast "Pablo Torre Finds Out." His reporting faced skepticism from some former players, executives, and media figures, including at Torre's former employer, ESPN. However, Torre's subsequent reports on similar deals provided additional evidence that prompted the NBA to launch a formal investigation.
In May, Torre's work on the Clippers investigation earned him a Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting. Despite earlier reports that appeared to clear the team, the NBA announced Wednesday that its findings provided sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
In addition to the team's penalties, Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000. The Clippers organization has stated that they "vehemently reject the NBA’s findings" and intend to contest the decision in court.
Torre, in a special podcast episode following the NBA's announcement, suggested that the full story may not yet be revealed, indicating that his investigation is ongoing.