Clippers rumors: LA facing ‘reduced TV profile’ as result of Kawhi Leonard scandal

As if the Los Angeles Clippers do not have enough problems amid the salary-cap circumvention scandal, they are facing another potential blowback to their broadcast plan.

The NBA handed down stiff sanctions on the Clippers after the league’s investigation confirmed that the team had illicit deals with a now-defunct sustainability company. The Clippers were fined $30 million and were forced to give up five first-round picks.

Owner Steve Ballmer, president of business operations Gillian Zucker, and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank were suspended. Star forward Kawhi Leonard, meanwhile, was fined $70,000.

With the bleak outlook for the Clippers, Front Office Sports’ Eric Fisher posited that the team will likely get a “reduced television profile” in the upcoming season as it deals with “declining competitive prospects and media industry upheaval.”

“Television-related matters were not directly part of the punishments, but the Clippers will likely be much harder to watch during the forthcoming season,” wrote Fisher.

“Locally, the Clippers have not yet disclosed their broadcast plans for the 2026–27 campaign. The team is among those previously tied to Main Street Sports Group, the shuttering regional sports network operator that stopped airing live games with the conclusion of the first round of last season’s NHL playoffs.”

Fisher noted that Los Angeles was not a big part of the NBA’s national coverage to begin with, but their profile will only be lessened further following the league’s harsh penalties.

The Clippers only have eight nationally televised games in the upcoming season, a significant drop from the 21 they had last season.

Ironically enough, Leonard will not be affected by the Clippers’ uncertain TV future, as he is now set to join the Toronto Raptors, who traded for him in June.

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