LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sunday night he’s complying with the NBA’s punishment in the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap circumvention case.
The decision marks a stunning turnaround from Ballmer, who had vowed to fight the league’s “witch hunt” when the league’s ruling was handed down 11 days before.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” the statement read. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and the distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.
“We are committed to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying to the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the ($30 million) fine and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.
“The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and our clear vision, I’m certain that we will compete at our highest level and be an organization our fans will be proud of.”
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The Clippers indeed face a challenging road ahead, as they were stripped of five first-round picks and issued the $30 million fine, in addition to significant suspensions to top leadership: one year for Ballmer, one year without pay for president of business operations Gillian Zucker and six months without pay for president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. Last week, The New York Times reported the Justice Department started a criminal investigation into the Clippers’ dealings with Leonard.
This choice to comply, however, could potentially open discussions between the Clippers and the NBA about lessening the discipline. There is precedent on that front, as the Minnesota Timberwolves were given a first-round draft pick back for compliance in the Joe Smith case in 2000.
Ballmer’s decision, which came hours before the NBA’s next Board of Governors meeting running from Monday to Tuesday, could set the stage for the long-awaited finalization of the Leonard trade to the Toronto Raptors. The deal — agreed upon in late June — would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-rounders, two first-round pick swaps and a second-rounder to the Clippers. But it was paused by the Raptors on July 9 because of concerns about the forthcoming findings and possible penalties for Leonard.
The deal has remained in purgatory since the ruling. League sources indicated the primary reason for the delay was the Clippers’ need to restructure their front office in the wake of the NBA’s penalties. The respective camps of the players involved have remained confident the trade would eventually go through. That remained the case late Sunday night, with a league source close to Leonard anticipating that the trade could be completed in the coming days. The sources all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were revealing private discussions.