Clippers stripped of FIVE first-round picks and slapped with $30m fine as NBA rules on Kawhi Leonard secret payment scandal

The NBA has penalized the Los Angeles Clippers by stripping them of five first-round draft picks and fining billionaire owner Steve Ballmer $30 million. The sanctions stem from an improper secret payment deal involving star player Kawhi Leonard. The ruling represents one of the most severe punishments in recent NBA history.