Apr 2, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) watches his shot during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Apr 2, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) watches his shot during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
It’s been nearly a week since the NBA reached a ruling on the cap circumvention scandal. After a mountain of evidence exposed a shady endorsement scheme, the NBA found the Clippers guilty, stripping the franchise of five first-round picks to go along with a $30 million fine and suspensions for several executives, including owner Steve Ballmer himself.
Besides a few initial statements, the Clippers have been mostly quiet since receiving the penalties, but their rage is being widely reported. In fact, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, many within the franchise still claim innocence as they continue to lick their wounds in recovery.
“The Clippers are still licking their wounds here in how they want to move forward,” reported Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. “They are also very upset. From numerous people I spoke to in and outside that building, the Clippers have been adamant that they are innocent of any wrongdoing all along. I do think that was focused on the Aspiration piece of this deal, but there are still people in and around Los Angeles claiming that Steve Ballmer definitively did not invest in Aspiration as a means to have that money funneled to Kawhi Leonard in a separate endorsement deal. But the Daktronics stuff, the Boingo stuff, clearly all rose to the level of untoward behavior.”
From the very beginning, the Clippers have said they are victims in the whole ordeal, shifting the blame to Aspiration co-founder Joseph Stranberg, who was convicted of fraud in federal court. That excuse does not explain their shady dealings with Daktronics and Boingo, however, which were also revealed to have exclusive “no-show” endorsement deals with Leonard.
Nevertheless, the Clippers are still salty about how the investigation panned out and how what they were told privately did not match what happened publicly. One of their biggest gripes is that Kawhi Leonard essentially got off with a slap on the wrist, in the form of a $700 fine. It may not be what the NBA preferred, but it allowed them to settle with the NBPA early, limiting how Ballmer can fight back.
“There is some element that Los Angeles is frustrated and disappointed by the fact that Kawhi Leonard essentially got off scot-free here,” Fishcer added. “Leonard, to my understanding, is working with the players’ union and the NBA to come up with that $700,000 fine agreement and announce some form of settlement that will allow Kawhi to move forward and join Toronto.”
The Clippers bent over backward for Kawhi, breaking the rules that cost them 10 first-round picks and a superstar, only to never make it past the Conference Finals. It’s a tragic tale and a truly damaging blow to a franchise that has historically struggled to stay relevant.
Where the Clippers go from here is unclear, but the first order of business will be handling the Kawhi trade. While both sides expect the deal to go through with no changes, the deal is stalled right now as Los Angeles looks to fill its vacant front office. Until they find someone to fill in for the suspended executives, all the Clippers’ business will effectively be on hold.
Regardless of what else happens this offseason, the Clippers are not taking this setback lightly. They continue to maintain their innocence, and actual litigation from Steve Ballmer cannot be ruled out. As far as Kawhi goes, his relationship with the Clippers has forever been tainted, but he likely doesn’t care much now as he looks toward a fresh start in Toronto.