The NBA suspends Steve Ballmer for a year and takes five draft picks over the Kawhi Leonard scandal.

The National Basketball Association has handed down severe penalties following an intensive investigation into allegations of salary cap circumvention involving the Los Angeles Clippers franchise and star forward Kawhi Leonard.

The league's inquiry, which was detailed in a comprehensive report compiled by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, focused on questionable endorsement contracts signed between Leonard and several corporate entities, including Aspiration, Daktronics, Boingo Wireless, and Lockton Insurance. As a direct result of these findings, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been officially suspended from league activities for one year, and the franchise will be stripped of five future draft selections.

In addition to Ballmer's year-long suspension and the loss of draft assets, the NBA has imposed significant financial penalties, including a thirty-million-dollar fine against the Clippers organization and a seven-hundred-thousand-dollar fine targeting Leonard individually. The disciplinary actions also extend to administrative and personal staff, with suspensions handed down to two team executives as well as Leonard's uncle. The league has indicated that this investigation remains open and active, suggesting that further developments or additional penalties could potentially emerge as the inquiry continues.