HAMMERED: LA Clippers & Kawhi Leonard Punished—NBA Drops 5-Pick BOMBSHELL

September 2, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The NBA Drops a Five-Pick Hammer on the Clippers

The NBA's punishment of the LA Clippers for salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard is so severe that it begins with a law firm's report citing a podcast episode. The first sentence of the full investigation, as posted by Ben Axerrod, reads: "On September 3rd, 2025, the podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out produced the first of a series of episodes alleging that the Clippers and its owner Steve Ballmer violated the salary cap circumvention rules of the NBA." A podcaster effectively triggered the takedown of a franchise.

The Punishment: Five First-Round Picks and More

The NBA stripped the Clippers of five first-round draft picks. The 2029 pick they acquired from the Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade is gone. Their own first-round picks from 2030 through 2033 are gone. The only first-rounder they will have in that stretch is the one they are receiving from Toronto in the Kawhi trade. As Locked On Pacers host Tony East calculated, the total calculus of picks in and out for Kawhi Leonard now stands at ten—five traded to acquire Paul George (which enabled signing Leonard) and five stripped on the way out. "Insane what it costs to do this to just make the conference finals one time," East said.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:55) **NBA Drops Bombshell: Clippers Punished for Kawhi Circumvention** - The hosts react to the league stripping five first-round picks, fining the team $30 million, and suspending executives and owner Steve Ballmer for illegal recruiting tactics involving Kawhi Leonard.
2 (05:27) **Anatomy of the Punishment: Five Picks and a $30 Million Fine** - The hosts detail the specific penalties, including the loss of the Pacers' pick and four of their own future first-rounders, plus a massive financial penalty for owner Steve Ballmer.
3 (06:35) **The Human Cost: Punishing Fans for an Owner's Mistake** - Nick argues the punishment unfairly hurts Clippers fans who had nothing to do with the front office's illegal scheme, while Tony counters that it was necessary to maintain league integrity.
4 (09:41) **The Full NBA Press Release: How the Clippers Got Caught** - The hosts read and analyze the league's official findings, which detail how the Clippers funneled money to Kawhi through four different companies doing business with the team.
5 (11:46) **Suspensions for Executives: Lawrence Frank and Jillian Zucker** - The hosts discuss the suspensions of the team's top basketball and business executives, and how this will impact day-to-day operations.
6 (14:58) **Steve Ballmer's Suspension: A Message to the Richest Owner** - The hosts focus on the unprecedented suspension of owner Steve Ballmer, who was personally found to have approved the illegal arrangements.
7 (16:02) **The Pacers' Pick: A Strange Twist for Indiana** - The hosts note the irony that the Pacers' traded pick was the one stripped, and what that means for the original trade involving Ivica Zubac.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Tony East

Show Notes

Los Angeles Clippers hit with a modern-day NBA “death sentence” as cap circumvention penalties strip away five first-round picks and sideline owner Steve Ballmer for a year. Is the Clippers curse back in full force—and what future is left after losing a decade’s worth of assets for just one Western Conference Finals run?

Tony East and Nick Angstadt dissect every angle, from the severe punishment's impact on franchise direction, to Kawhi Leonard’s shockingly light $700,000 fine, and Uncle Dennis’s five-year ban. The hosts break down the ripple effects on Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, and the Clippers’ rebuild strategies, while questioning whether Adam Silver’s harsh response sets a new precedent for the league’s richest owners. Will other NBA teams dare risk similar violations, or does this hammer drop signal a new era of enforcement?

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