Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sunday night that he will accept the NBA’s punishment in the Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention case.
This decision marks a stark turnaround by Ballmer and the Clippers, who vowed to fight the NBA against the ruling and referred to the NBA’s investigation as a “witch hunt” when the ruling was handed down on September 3rd.
In Ballmer’s statement on Sunday night, he took responsibility for the controversy and apologized to those affected. “This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets, I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.” Ballmer said.
“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.” The statement said.
Ballmer seems to make it clear he would rather move forward.
The Clippers still have a hefty price to pay.
The Clippers now confront a daunting and challenging road ahead. As the NBA’s punishments state, loss of five first-round picks, a $30 million dollar fine, and top leadership in the organization face significant suspensions. Steve Ballmer is suspended for one year, president of business operations Gillian Zucker is suspended for one year without pay, and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank is suspended for six months without pay. The choice to comply with the investigation could also mean lessening the discipline.
Most recently, last week the New York Times reported that the United States Department of Justice started a criminal investigation into the Clippers’ business dealings with Kawhi Leonard.
The June trade agreement between the Toronto Raptors and Clippers to send Leonard back to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, a pair of unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), a 2027 first-round swap and a pair of second-round picks still hangs in the balance as the trade has never been made official.
This could mark another chapter in this saga. But, Steve Ballmer did close one chapter of this saga Sunday by coming forward and accepting the NBA’s punishments.
Sports Talk by Zach Walsh 
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