09-03-2026, 08:43 AM
Christian Clark: 'Don't even think about trying this' is the message the NBA is sending here. No one I spoke to over the past year believed that Adam Silver had it in him to punish the Clippers and Ballmer, the NBA's richest owner, so severely. Multiple current and former team employees told me they considered this the 'death penalty' when the NBA announced the results of the investigation Wednesday afternoon. The Clippers are out five first-round picks, their owner is suspended for one year, and their lead basketball executive is suspended for six months without pay. So yes, I think this will discourage teams from attempting salary cap circumvention. This penalty was brutal.
New York Times
New York Times