​Kawhi Leonard signed for the Clippers in 2019. Photograph: Matt Slocum/APThe NBA has handed down one of the biggest punishments in the history of the league to the Los Angeles Clippers after finding that the franchise circumvented salary cap rules when it courted Kawhi Leonard as a free agent.The league has stripped the team of five first-round draft picks, giving the team no natural pick in the draft from 2029 through 2033.The NBA also fined the Clippers $30m, and suspended owner Steve Ballmer from all league and team activities for a year. In addition, the league issued suspensions to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and president of business operations Gillian Zucker for their involvement in the scheme.“The NBA’s collectively bargained system for determining player compensation is a fundamental component of the basketball competition that the league oversees for the benefit of the teams and players and ultimately the fans,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct. The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”