Bill Simmons and Skip Bayless react to LA Clippers receiving ‘biggest punishment in NBA history’

NBA experts Bill Simmons and Skip Bayless have reacted to the Los Angeles Clippers’ punishment for salary cap circumvention.

They have lost five first-round picks between 2029 and 2033, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been fined $30 million.

Ballmer, Lawrence Frank and Gillian Zucker have been suspended, while Kawhi Leonard has also been fined $700,000.

Following Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors, the Clippers may struggle to contend for more than a decade.

Bill Simmons’ immediate reaction to the announcement was that the NBA has never given a harsher punishment.

He also joked that the championship-less franchise can “hang a banner” for doing something that has never been done before.

Simmons tweeted: “Pretty sure this is the biggest punishment in NBA history. The Clippers finally have a banner they can hang! Just classic.”

Meanwhile, Skip Bayless was taken aback by the Clippers’ enormous punishment, especially in contrast to Kawhi Leonard’s.

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Bayless believes Leonard is fortunate to have received a relatively small fine and that the Clippers were allowed to trade him.

He posted: “Did the Commissioner ever drop the hammer on Ballmer and the Clippers for ‘flagrant violations’ they still say they did not commit?

Did the Commissioner ever drop the hammer on Balmer and the Clippers for "flagrant violations" they still say they did not commit. Kawhi got off pretty lightly with a fine under 1 mil while retaining the ability to be traded to Toronto. Balmer loses 5 1sts, gone for a year.

“Kawhi got off pretty lightly with a fine under 1 mil while retaining the ability to be traded to Toronto. Ballmer loses 5 1sts, gone for a year.”

The small forward is expected to complete his move to the Toronto Raptors, who could be Eastern Conference contenders.

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