What's next after NBA's Clippers punishment? Five lingering questions about Kawhi Leonard trade, appeals, more

The Kawhi trade to the Raptors should go through, but the Clippers' appeals process is much less clear

The top 3

  1. Largest Fines Imposed on NBA Teams/Owners: The largest fine in NBA history is $30 million levied against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2026 for salary cap circumvention, followed by a $5 million fine to the Golden State Warriors in 2023 for tampering, and $3.5 million to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000 for an illegal contract.
  2. Longest Player Suspensions for Conduct Violations: Ron Artest (Metta Sandiford-Artest) holds the record for the longest non-drug-related suspension at 86 games for his role in the 2004 'Malice at the Palace,' followed by Latrell Sprewell's 68-game suspension for assaulting his coach, and Gilbert Arenas' 50-game ban for bringing firearms into the locker room.
  3. Teams Forfeiting First-Round Draft Picks: The Los Angeles Clippers were stripped of five first-round draft picks (2029-2033) in 2026 for salary cap circumvention, a penalty matched by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000 who forfeited five first-round picks due to an illegal contract with Joe Smith, while the Philadelphia 76ers lost two second-round picks in 2022 for tampering.

Sources

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