Clippers may have been boxed out of arbitration after Steve Ballmer chose to fight NBA

The Clippers say they intend to fight the NBA’s massive punishment in the Kawhi Leonard case. Pablo Torre has offered an interesting explanation for why that fight may have to take place in court.

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Torre said the NBA attempted to reach a settlement with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer before announcing its findings.

“They said, ‘Hey, we have a narrow scope, we have undeniable evidence, we want to just make sure that you have the opportunity to take your punishment, admit wrongdoing, and let us all move on,'” Torre said.

Ballmer instead decided to fight, Torre said. That’s when things apparently got interesting.

According to Torre, the NBA subsequently reached a settlement with Leonard and the players’ union. Since arbitration can only be initiated by the union, Torre said that effectively removed arbitration as an option for Ballmer.

“What can Steve Ballmer do?” Torre said. “He can literally sue the NBA.”

That would explain the disconnect between the Clippers’ statement Wednesday and subsequent reporting. Los Angeles said it looked forward to an “ethical and impartial arbitration process” while rejecting the league’s findings.

Apparently, that process isn’t available. So Ballmer can keep fighting. Given the Clippers’ response, he certainly sounds prepared to do so.

His next opponent just might be the NBA itself, in an actual courtroom.