Clippers Hit With Historic Penalties, Forfeit Five First-Round Picks Over Kawhi Leonard Scandal
The NBA has dropped the hammer on the Clippers, stripping five first-round picks and fining the team $30 million after a cap-circumvention investigation tied to Kawhi Leonard.
In one of the harshest penalties in league history, the NBA has imposed major penalties on the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard for violating the salary-cap circumvention rules, following a lengthy probe into an alleged no-show job for Leonard with a now-defunct company, Aspiration.
Hoops Rumors
Hoops Rumors
The punishment is severe: the Clippers will forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA drafts, and the team is fined $30 million.
Hoops Rumors
The timing couldn't be messier for the franchise. The LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors were in trade discussions for Leonard, with his camp signaling he'd only sign an extension in Toronto if the Clippers weren't planning to keep him. Leonard has only the 2026-27 season left on his contract, worth $50.3 million, and the trade talks have since been put on hold as the league's investigation played out.
2026 NBA buzz: Latest free agency and trade updates - ESPN +2
With draft capital gutted for half a decade and its franchise cornerstone's future in limbo, LA now faces one of the toughest rebuilding puzzles in the league.
