NBA Slaps Clippers With Five Picks, $30M Fine Over Kawhi Leonard Deal

The NBA has handed down sweeping penalties against the Clippers following its investigation into salary-cap circumvention tied to Kawhi Leonard’s 2022 signing. Los Angeles will forfeit five first-round picks and pay a $30 million fine, while owner Steve Ballmer faces a one-year suspension. Leonard was fined $700,000. The league found the Clippers facilitated improper endorsement opportunities and personal payments involving Leonard and companies doing business with the team.

Russell Westbrook is taking his next step beyond the NBA. The recently retired nine-time All-Star is joining startup basketball league Project B as a co-founder and chief strategy officer, taking an equity stake and board seat. Set to launch in 2027, Project B plans to build a global league centered on player ownership, with games broadcast on YouTube. Westbrook’s move adds another major athlete to the league’s growing roster of investors and talent.

Google is partnering with MrBeast on a multi-year deal to bring Gemini and Google Health into the YouTube star’s massive content ecosystem. The collaboration launches Sept. 5, when MrBeast and his crew will tackle the jungle, desert, and Arctic, using Gemini to navigate extreme conditions. The partnership will also feature Fitbit Air and MrBeast in a Gemini ad campaign, giving Google a high-profile creator vehicle for showcasing its AI and health technology.

HBO has unveiled a new trailer for its Harry Potter series, offering the clearest look yet at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their classmates at Hogwarts. The footage features iconic moments including the Sorting Hat ceremony, Quidditch, and Harry’s first clash with Professor Snape. The series also appears more cinematic than the initial teaser, addressing fan criticism of its muted visual style. The series premieres Dec. 25 on HBO.

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Shaquille O’Neal is taking DUNKMAN global. The professional dunk league will return for a second season in 2027, expanding to more cities and countries while adding team competitions and a junior division for athletes 15 and under. The inaugural season drew nearly 6 million viewers on TNT Sports, with Cam Hazzard winning the $500,000 championship prize. O’Neal founded and serves as commissioner of the league.

Tiger Woods has reached a plea deal in his Florida DUI case, agreeing to a five-year driver’s license suspension and $1,500 in fines. Woods pleaded no contest to reduced charges of reckless driving and refusing to submit to a lawful test, while also being found guilty of careless driving. The 50-year-old golfer was arrested in March after his SUV clipped a trailer and rolled over. Woods has not competed on the PGA Tour since July 2024.

Anthropic is upgrading its AI lineup with Fable 5.1 and Mythos 5.1, targeting lower costs, stronger performance, and fewer safety restrictions. Fable 5.1 is up to twice as strong on key science and coding benchmarks, while cached-data pricing drops 75%. Mythos 5.1 is built for advanced coding, cybersecurity, and life sciences, and is initially available only through Anthropic’s trusted-access programs.

ESPN is giving Peter Schrager his own daily show. Big Day with Peter Schrager will reportedly debut Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. ET, replacing SportsCenter in the afternoon slot. The one-hour program will lean heavily into the NFL while covering other sports, with Schrager joined by rotating guests. The show will air four days a week during college football season before expanding to five days, a major investment in Schrager as one of ESPN’s key personalities.

Peacock is doubling down on The Office fandom with Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to The Office, a six-part documentary series exploring the sitcom’s rise, cultural impact, and enduring fanbase. The series features new interviews with cast and key creatives, alongside archival footage of Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, and others. Directed by Shawn Cauthen, the documentary premieres Sept. 7.

Yum Brands has officially sold Pizza Hut’s assets outside China to LongRange Capital for $1.5 billion, completing its exit from the pizza chain. The deal follows Yum’s $1.2 billion sale of Pizza Hut China last month, allowing the company to concentrate on Taco Bell, KFC, and its other brands. LongRange plans to invest in Pizza Hut’s turnaround, with former P.F. Chang’s CEO Eduardo Luz leading the chain on an interim basis as it moves into private ownership.

Amazon is expanding its grip on live sports, bringing local streaming rights for six NHL teams to Prime Video beginning with the 2026-27 season. The Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues will stream games on the platform in their respective markets. The move strengthens Prime Video’s regional sports business as traditional regional sports networks continue to lose ground to streaming.

Uber is cutting roughly 3,300 jobs, or 10% of its global workforce, in a restructuring aimed at reducing bureaucracy and redirecting resources toward growth. The overhaul will eliminate 20% of management positions, halve its smallest teams and streamline engineering, science, and delivery operations. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the savings will be reinvested in drivers, couriers, merchants, and Uber’s autonomous-vehicle ambitions as the company looks to operate “simpler and faster.”

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