{"id":2143372,"date":"2026-09-14T03:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T00:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2143372"},"modified":"2026-09-14T03:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T00:15:12","slug":"steve-ballmer-wont-fight-salary-cap-circumvention-penalties-apologizes-to-clippers-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2143372","title":{"rendered":"Steve Ballmer won\u2019t fight salary-cap circumvention penalties, apologizes to Clippers fans"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sunday night he\u2019s complying with the NBA\u2019s punishment in the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap circumvention case.<\/p>\n<p>The decision marks a stunning turnaround from Ballmer, who had vowed to fight the league\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7560693\/2026\/09\/02\/clippers-nba-investigation-witch-hunt-steve-ballmer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>\u201cwitch hunt\u201d<\/span><\/a><span> when the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7513882\/2026\/09\/02\/clippers-kawhi-leonard-punishment-fine-suspensions-nba-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">league\u2019s ruling was handed down 11 days before<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Steven_Ballmer\/status\/2099332460899368990\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the statement read<\/a>. \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 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\u2019m certain that we will compete at our highest level and be an organization our fans will be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"k6vS6ejRZgIHYuZ\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Pablo Torre reflects on the NBA&#8217;s historic ruling in the Kawhi Leonard case<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>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<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7583517\/2026\/09\/10\/clippers-kawhi-leonard-doj-investigation-salary-cap-nba\/\"><span>Justice Department started a criminal investigation<\/span><\/a><span> into the Clippers\u2019 dealings with Leonard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Ballmer\u2019s decision, which came hours before the NBA\u2019s 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 \u2014 agreed upon in late June \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The deal has remained in purgatory since the ruling. League sources indicated\u00a0the primary reason for the delay was\u00a0the Clippers\u2019 need to restructure their front office in the wake of the NBA\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7560389\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7560389\/2026\/09\/03\/nba-punishment-clippers-timberwolves-kawhi-leonard-joe-smith\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7560389\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/09\/03021130\/GettyImages-1097868614.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"NBA\u2019s punishment for Clippers hits close to home for Timberwolves\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  NBA\u2019s punishment for Clippers hits close to home for Timberwolves\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  If any NBA franchise understands how the recently punished LA Clippers are currently feeling, it&#8217;s the team in Minnesota\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sunday night he\u2019s complying with the NBA\u2019s punishment in the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap circumvention case. The decision marks a stunning turnaround from Ballmer, who had vowed to fight the league\u2019s \u201cwitch hunt\u201d when the league\u2019s ruling was handed down 11 days before. Advertisement \u201cThis has been a very difficult [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2143372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2143372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2143372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2143372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2143372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}