LOS ANGELES — The NBA handed down a sweeping set of punishments against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, fining the team $30 million, stripping it of five future first-round draft picks and suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a full year following a nearly yearlong investigation into salary cap circumvention involving star forward Kawhi Leonard.

The league said in a statement that its probe "found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules." As a result, the Clippers must forfeit consecutive first-round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033, and the franchise will be subject to five years of strict league monitoring going forward.

Ballmer, 70, who purchased the Clippers for $2 billion in 2014 after previously serving as chief executive of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, was suspended from "all league and team activities" for one year. The league said the suspension was imposed "for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities," among other issues cited in the investigation's findings.

Two other senior Clippers executives were also disciplined. Team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year, with the league stating she was "primarily and directly culpable" for impermissible endorsement arrangements and had lied to investigators. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was banned for six months without pay for his involvement in the arrangements and for........

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