Clippers Reject NBA's Findings in First Official Response to Punishment

The NBA came down hard on the Los Angeles Clippers. Just when it looked like the Clippers were going to get away with a slap on the wrist after ESPN's reporting that the league found no direct evidence of funneling funds from Steve Ballmer to Leonard through third parties, the NBA dealt as strong a punishment as one could have realistically expected.

The Clippers were stripped of five first-round picks. Steve Ballmer was fined $30 million and suspended from all league and team activities for a year. Clippers GM Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months.

Leonard was the first to respond to the punishment. He claimed that he had no prior knowledge of the intent to circumvent the salary cap.

Following Kawhi's remarks, the Clippers organization released an official statement, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Clippers Vow to Challenge the Punishment, But Don't Have a Way to Do So

The Clippers said they "vehemently reject the NBA's findings" and called the investigation "heavily biased." The statement went on: "What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy."

The statement ends with the claim that the Clippers will fight to demonstrate their innocence, before adding, "We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process."

The problem with this statement is that the NBA's ruling is final. There is no formal appeal process.

In fact, in its official statement, the NBA said, "The NBA and the NBPA have entered into an agreement confirming these penalties are final and binding on all parties," before adding that the law firm conducting the investigation is still receiving information and the league may even consider further action.

In the same statement, Adam Silver talked about how "deeply disappointed" he is by the violations of the rules, and "the severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations."

The Clippers can, of course, pursue other avenues. They can take the league to court. It's very difficult to imagine that would result in a positive outcome for the Clippers. At the end of the day, the NBA is a private organization governed by its set of rules and code of conduct.

Plus, there is a precedent for this type of punishment by the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves were dealt a similar penalty in 2000 for their dealings with Joe Smith, losing five first-round picks for cap circumvention.

What next steps the Clippers will take remains to be seen. Steve Ballmer will presumably not go away without a fight, but it's difficult to see how he will win this fight against the NBA.

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