Stephen A. Smith believes Steve Ballmer escaped with a light punishment after the Clippers’ costly salary-cap scandal.
Stephen A. Smith offered no sympathy to Steve Ballmer after the NBA handed the Los Angeles Clippers one of the harshest punishments in league history.
The NBA suspended Ballmer from all team and league activities for one year, fined the Clippers $30 million and forced the franchise to forfeit five consecutive first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033.
Despite those penalties, Smith believes the Clippers owner got off lightly.
“Steve Ballmer should be banned for stupidity,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “You did all of this for Kawhi Leonard? Him?”
Smith argued that Ballmer was fortunate he was not removed as owner after the league found that the Clippers violated salary-cap circumvention rules while helping Leonard obtain outside income.
“Steve Ballmer is lucky he hasn’t been banned and he’s not being forced to sell the team,” Smith said. “The fact of the matter is, a year suspension, he’s getting off light.”
NBA Delivers Historic Clippers Punishment
The league’s investigation centered on Leonard’s $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, a company that later filed for bankruptcy.
The NBA determined that Ballmer knowingly sought to help Leonard secure off-court income and approved a business arrangement that served as a precondition for Aspiration to enter its endorsement deal with Leonard.
Feb 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Clippers ownerSteveBallmerwatches against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesLeonard was fined $700,000 but avoided a suspension. His former business manager and uncle, Dennis Robertson, was banned from conducting business with NBA teams for five years.
Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year without pay, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month suspension without pay. The organization will also operate under a five-year league compliance program.
The Clippers have rejected the findings and announced their intention to challenge the penalties through arbitration.
Clippers Will Pay for Years
Smith’s larger point concerned the staggering price the Clippers paid for the Leonard era.
Feb 19, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reacts after the game against the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesLeonard helped Los Angeles reach the Western Conference finals in 2021, but injuries repeatedly limited his availability during the postseason. The franchise never reached the NBA Finals despite committing enormous financial and basketball resources to building around him.
Now, the Clippers’ mistakes could affect the organization long after Leonard’s departure. Losing five consecutive first-round picks strips the front office of valuable young talent and trade assets during a period when the roster will likely need to be rebuilt.
The $30 million fine is substantial, but Ballmer is one of the wealthiest owners in professional sports. The lost draft capital could prove far more damaging.
Smith’s delivery was characteristically harsh, but his central argument is difficult to dismiss. Ballmer’s pursuit of every possible advantage for Leonard did not produce a championship.
Instead, it left the Clippers without five first-round picks and with their owner barred from the league for an entire year.
