N.B.A commissioner Adam Silver has described the league’s investigation LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard as “shut down” after a major punishment that saw owner Steve Ballmer suspended for a year.
The Clippers were fined $30 million and stripped of five first-round picks, while Leonard was fined $700,000 but avoided a suspension. The sanctions followed allegations that the franchise circumvented the NBA’s salary cap.
Silver said the league’s board of governors had held extensive discussions about the responsibility of teams to follow the rules.
“I think everyone in the room understands that part of the basic responsibility of the league is to have a set of rules that everyone agrees to operate by, and the responsibility of the league to enforce those rules,” Silver said.
“And that if those rules are found to be violated, there will be appropriate consequences.”
The Leonard trade was finally completed
The Clippers and Ballmer also face a Justice Department investigation, according to The New York Times.
Silver confirmed that he had spoken with Leonard, but declined to reveal the details of their conversation. He said both sides had agreed to move forward.
Leonard’s lengthy trade from the Clippers to the Toronto Raptors was completed on Monday, shortly after the NBA announced his sanctions.
The punishment is among the most severe in league history and has been compared to the penalties imposed on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000 for circumventing the salary cap in their signing of Joe Smith.
The Timberwolves were also stripped of five first-round picks, while owner Glen Taylor and executive Kevin McHale were suspended for one year. Commissioner David Stern later returned two of the elections.
Silver would not commit to providing the Clippers with a similar relief.
“Because while there have to be competitive consequences, our view, if those rules are violated, we still want to be a 30-team league,” he said.
“And we recognize that in a way, unfortunately we’re also punishing the fans of that team, and so that’s the balance we’re trying to strike.”
Silver dismisses the broader concerns head on
Silver insisted he did not believe the Clippers case indicated salary cap circumvention was widespread in the NBA.
He also rejected the idea that the league should launch broader investigations into player deals with team sponsors.
“I’ve been around the league for decades,” Silver said.
“I pick up the chatter here and there when other things happen around the league. I’ve had a lot of conversations with general managers, team presidents, owners about the type of conduct that’s going on.
“We know that along the lines there has been some slippage over the years, but nothing of that nature that I’m aware of.”
Silver added that he did not believe the punishment had caused permanent damage to the Clippers, although he acknowledged that the franchise had suffered a significant setback.
