The NBA fined the Clippers $30 million over a secret deal allegedly used to pay Kawhi Leonard around the salary cap, and now the DOJ is investigating. Was the punishment enough?
The penalties also include year-long suspensions and five lost draft picks. The Justice Department's criminal investigation centres on whether the Clippers arranged secret sponsorship contracts for Leonard through a now-defunct company, Aspiration.
What happened
The NBA fined the Clippers $30 million, suspended owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker for a year, suspended president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months, and stripped the team of five first-round picks, following an investigation into the team's dealings with Kawhi Leonard. Days after Ballmer said the team would comply, the US Justice Department opened its own criminal investigation into whether the Clippers arranged secret sponsorship contracts for Leonard through Aspiration, a now-defunct green banking company Ballmer personally invested $50 million in.
Why people disagree
Some see the NBA's penalties, among the harshest in league history, as proof the league already took the matter seriously and imposed real consequences. Others argue a separate federal criminal investigation opening so soon after the league's punishment suggests the underlying conduct may be more serious than a fine and suspensions can address.
What's still unclear
What the Justice Department's investigation actually finds, and whether it uncovers conduct beyond what the NBA's own investigation already covered.
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