Clippers Fined Over Kawhi’s Secret Deals | Toronto Raptors News

The NBA just dropped a blockbuster penalty on the L.A. Clippers for secretly paying Kawhi Leonard beyond the salary cap — a $30 million fine, five first-round draft picks stripped from 2029 to 2033, and suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer and top execs. Kawhi himself took a $700K hit, and his uncle got a five-year ban. The scheme involved sneaky endorsement deals with companies like Aspiration and Daktronics, funneling Kawhi an extra $18M off the books — and he reportedly earned $66M in unofficial payments in his first few years. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley slammed the Clippers’ punishment as deserved, but also called Kawhi’s 2019 exit from Toronto a colossal mistake — he had championship pedigree, a nation behind him, and a GM who built a title contender. If Kawhi had stayed, this whole mess might’ve never happened. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/63d416fb8124b624