NBA-Clippers to forfeit five draft picks, fined $30 million after Leonard probe

Sept 2 : The Los Angeles Clippers will forfeit five first-round draft picks and pay a $30 million fine for violating salary cap circumvention rules involving Kawhi Leonard, the NBA said on Wednesday while also suspending team owner Steve Ballmer.After a year-long probe, the NBA said in a press release that an independent investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization.The league had launched an investigation into the ​Clippers following media reports that Leonard, a two-time NBA champion, was paid by a now-bankrupt environmental firm that had close ties to Ballmer as a way to circumvent league rules that ​restrict the total amount a team can spend on its player payroll.The reports ​said Leonard had a four-year, $28-million