Utah Jazz Owner Speaks on Steve Ballmer, LA Clippers Controversy

Just a few weeks away from the start of the new NBA season, the league swung down the hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers following their recent investigations surrounding potential cap circumvention when signing Kawhi Leonard.

After the league had found that the Clippers were caught red-handed, there was an array of punishments that were placed on the franchise: they were stripped of multiple first-round draft picks until 2033, had to pay a $30 million fine, and saw their owner Steve Ballmer banned from operations for an entire year among other penalties.

There haven't been many punishments like this seen throughout league history, so it's certainly gotten the NBA world talking––including some recent comments from Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith on his thoughts on the situation.

What Jazz Owner Ryan Smith Said About Clippers' Punishment

During a recent interview with Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports, Smith dove into some of his thoughts on the Clippers' recent punishment, along with some praise for Steve Ballmer because of the positive interactions he's had with him.

“There are so many different aspects of this, from a league standpoint," Smith said of the Clippers' punishment. "On a personal level, Steve [Ballmer] has been so awesome to me over the years... He's a stand-up individual."

"This game's tricky. This game's hard. And, obviously we have rules, and the NBA's got to do it, and I'm glad he accepted [the punishment], and we all can just turn the page and move on. It's not the first time this has happened in the league. But these rules have to mean anything, as owners were held to a pretty high standard comparatively, and it kind of is what it is."

"Like, I love Steve. I think he's been an incredible owner in the league. His impact, I think the NBA is way better with him. But this is just one of those things, and hopefully he can get back on the horse next year and we can get back into it. I think everyone's just ready to move on."

Jazz owner Ryan Smith to @FOS on the Ballmer/Clippers punishments:

"Steve is a standup individual first and foremost. This game is tricky, this game is hard, and obviously we have rules, and the NBA's gotta do it, and I'm glad he accepted it, and we all can just turn the page… pic.twitter.com/uyWAhfr4dP
— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) September 21, 2026

After a long, dragged-out investigation came to a close just a couple of weeks ago, it turned out to be about as severe of a punishment you could imagine for the Clippers for not only their front office collective, but also the future of their franchise altogether from their actions surrounding Leonard's acquisition in 2020.

Now, because of the findings in that investigation, they've been set back years without draft capital to get better, multiple executives within the front office found and suspended, and unlikely to rise back to relevance until their penalties are truly able to subside.

Jan 5, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reacts after the game against the Golden State Warriors at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

From the Jazz's perspective though, they're certainly glad to not be put in that situation themselves, but also to be within the same Western Conference as the team suffering those extreme penalties for the foreseeable future.

The Jazz will also be participating in an NBA Draft with just 29 total picks in the first round up until 2033, thus leaving one less team to compete with for a higher slot on the board.

So while a brutal result for the Clippers to now be forced to dig out of a hole, there's no reason that Utah is sitting just a little bit prettier for the future because of the NBA's decision.

Be sure to follow Utah Jazz On SI on X to stay up to date for daily Utah Jazz news, rumors and analysis!

Add us as a preferred source on Google