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Clippers Hit With $30M Fine, 5 Draft-Pick Forfeitures

9/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced severe penalties for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers must forfeit first-round draft picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033.
The team was fined $30 million.
Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension.
President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year without pay.

History

Historical Context

After the NFL stripped the New England Patriots of their 2008 first-round draft pick and fined them $250,000 for the 2007 Spygate videotaping scandal, Commissioner Roger Goodell set a precedent for punitive draft sanctions. In 2024, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver applied the same logic, levying a $30 million fine and five future first-round picks on the Los Angeles Clippers for violations.

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Story summary

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced severe penalties for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers must forfeit first-round draft picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033.
The team was fined $30 million.
Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension.
President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year without pay.

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