LOS ANGELES -- The LA Clippers opened media day on Monday by apologizing to fans in the wake of an NBA salary cap circumvention investigation that levied stiff penalties on the organization.
With owner Steve Ballmer, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and president of business operations Gillian Zucker all serving league-mandated suspensions, interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden said the organization was committed to regaining the trust of their fanbase.
"Our fans deserve to hear from us before this, and for that we're sorry," Redden said. "We've been listening to the thoughts, the concerns, and feeling the emotions of our fan base. They mean everything to us. Their pain through this time is real, and we feel it and we hear them, as well as our staff members who are proud to be part of this organization. We hope to fulfill our promises to them to build their trust and move forward."
The Clippers announced last week that John S. Gibson, a Los Angeles area lawyer, would serve as the organization's interim governor during Ballmer's yearlong suspension. Gibson said in an online video that the Clippers were committed to three goals: "building bridges" across the basketball community, improving the "culture of compliance" with league rules and executing a "comprehensive review" of the organization's basketball and business operations.
Meanwhile, Redden has stepped in for Frank during his six-month suspension. Redden, who joined the Clippers in 2017, will be supported by longtime coach Ty Lue and a front office staff that includes interim general manager Mark Hughes and executive Lee Jenkins.
"Our processes of how we go through talking to teams and drumming up ideas and figuring out what might work for us, both short and long term, stays the same," Redden said. "Ty's input on the player level and his system is always part of it. I don't see that changing because of the [suspensions]. We'll just talk to [Gibson] for final approval [of trades] instead of talking to [Ballmer]."
The NBA's investigation concluded that the Clippers broke league rules by arranging endorsement opportunities for All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who was traded to the Toronto Raptors earlier this month. In addition to the suspensions, the Clippers were forced to pay a $30 million fine and forfeit five first-round picks. The Clippers initially "rejected the NBA's findings" when the investigation's results were released in August, but Ballmer eventually changed course and said he would accept the league's punishments in a Sept. 13 statement.
"The penalties we are facing are significant, and we will comply with them," Redden said.
Lue said he remains committed to the Clippers and is "loyal to the end" to Ballmer, who hired him as head coach in 2020. Lue praised his players for working out together in Los Angeles in recent weeks, noting that the "morale is great, even in these tough situations."
"I definitely want to go through this challenge," Lue said. "We've been through challenges before. Is it any different?"
The Clippers appear headed for a rebuilding season after trading Leonard, their leading scorer, for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft assets earlier this month. Redden said Monday that Ingram will miss the start of the season as he recovers from a May surgery to address a right heel injury and a partially torn Achilles tendon.
"This franchise often has done its best work with its back against the wall," Redden said. "We hope to represent our fans the same way we always had in dark times by coming out fighting."