Kawhi Leonard says he signed his Los Angeles Clippers contract in “good faith” after the NBA fined the team $30m (£22.2m) for breaking salary rules to earn the forward millions of dollars in endorsements.

The punishment is the largest in NBA history, with Leonard also fined $700,000 (£520,000), owner Steve Ballmer suspended from all NBA activities for 12 months and Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker suspended for a year without pay for “misleading statements to investigators”.

Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019 and is now expected to complete a return to the Toronto Raptors, which was halted during the investigation and will restore the 35-year-old to the team with whom he won the NBA in 2019 as Finals MVP.

Kawhi Leonard investigation: NBA player’s full response

“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am,” said Leonard.

“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.

“I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.

“For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with.

“As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.”

What happened in LA Clippers investigation?

In September 2025, journalist Pablo Torre reported that an endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC worth $28m (£20.8m) could have violated rules.

The NBA found a “pattern of misconduct” and “multiple significant rules violations” by the Clippers organization, described by league commissioner Adam Silver as “flagrant”

“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” a Clippers statement said.

“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 Clippers must forfeit first-round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has also been suspended for six months without pay.

Steve Ballmer: Clippers face ‘injustice’

Ballmer’s attorney, David Kelley, has sent a letter to Silver calling the investigation a “witch hunt” and the penalties a “gross injustice”, according to ESPN.

“Mr Ballmer’s reputation has been irreparably damaged as he now finds himself embroiled not only in this heavily biased investigation, but in civil litigation, the Aspiration bankruptcy proceeding, and more,” Kelley wrote in extracts relayed by the outlet.

“Retroactively punishing the Clippers for violating a rule that never existed is hardly consistent with due process.”