The Los Angeles Clippers had the worst punishment in the history of the NBA given to them over the Kawhi Leonard Aspiration scandal. They were found to have engaged in cap circumvention, and Adam Silver took away five first-round picks.
All of this came after an investigation by Pablo Torre. On his podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, Torre laid out all of the facts of the situation. Now, Torre is reporting that Steve Ballmer, who is suspended for a year, refused to settle with the league over these findings.
Clippers Could Have Settled for Lesser Penalties
In the latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, Torre claims that Ballmer refused to settle with the league. ESPN had reported that the league approached LA with a possibility of reduced penalties. Instead, Ballmer did not decide to admit any wrongdoing.
With Ballmer refusing to admit any wrongdoing, the NBA decided to levy some hefty penalties. They took five first-round draft picks, fined Ballmer $30 million, suspended him for a year, and also levied penalties on two other executives. Simply put, the NBA brought down the hammer.
Had Ballmer been able to accept some responsibility, they would likely have received a lighter load of penalties. Torre lays that out during his episode.
“Steve Ballmer was fundamentally uninterested in settling. The NBA was looking forward to settling. For this not to be five first-round picks, and 30 million dollars, and all these suspensions. This is what happens when you don’t settle.”
Had Ballmer sung a different tune, there is a good chance that Los Angeles would be in a better spot for the future. Instead, his stubbornness has now changed what the NBA decided they were going to do with the possible punishment. They decided to send a message to the rest of the league, and the Clippers pay a hefty price.
The Clippers Will Have Trouble Navigating the Future
With the punishment finally set, the Clippers can now move on. Yet, the future does not look promising now that they know what they have in front of them. Those first-round picks being taken away makes it much harder for them to accelerate their rebuild.
The trade of Leonard to the Raptors still hasn’t officially gone through. Part of the reason for that is the fact that LA has to figure out who is making decisions with Frank suspended. Once that is settled, Leonard will officially be a member of the Raptors. Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick can then start their work with the Clippers.
Last season, the Clippers had the 17th-ranked defense in the league after the All-Star break. That was after they shipped Ivica Zubac to Indiana. Without Leonard or Zubac, the defense is going to be much worse. Expect that number to take a massive dive next season without those two on the roster.
Clippers’ Steve Ballmer Refused to Settle With NBA Over Aspiration Scandal: Report