The NBA's severe punishment of the LA Clippers for salary-cap circumvention in September 2026 hits close to home for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who endured a nearly identical scandal 27 years ago. The Timberwolves, whose last game was a 109-139 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on May 16, 2026, were stripped of five first-round picks and fined $3.5 million in 1999 for a secret deal with forward Joe Smith. The Athletic first reported the story.
What was the Timberwolves' 1999 punishment?
Then-commissioner David Stern suspended owner Glen Taylor and general manager Kevin McHale for a full year. The team also forfeited five first-round draft picks and paid a $3.5 million fine. Joe Smith's contract was voided as part of the discipline. The scandal erupted when a legal dispute between two agents revealed an under-the-table agreement Minnesota made with the veteran forward.
At the time, the Timberwolves were a struggling mid-market franchise that had never advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Taylor was a local owner from Comfrey, Minnesota. Many viewed the league's massive penalty as the big, bad NBA office making an example of a small-market team.
How does the Clippers' 2026 punishment compare?
The NBA announced its ruling on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank got six months and business operations president Gillian Zucker one year. The team was fined $30 million and lost five first-round draft picks.
The league determined the Clippers circumvented cap rules to funnel millions to star forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard's contract stayed in place, but he was fined $700,000. His uncle, Dennis Robertson, was banned from working with NBA teams for five years. Ballmer and the Clippers have denied all allegations from the start.
Why were people in Minnesota shocked by the Clippers' penalty?
If others around the NBA were surprised by commissioner Adam Silver's penalty on a powerful owner, those in Minnesota were gobsmacked. The Clippers' situation was fundamentally different. Ballmer is the league's richest owner, operating in Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest market.
He built a new arena and fought the allegations aggressively. The Timberwolves watched the NBA's deliberation of the Clippers' case as closely as any team. All principals from Minnesota's 1999 case are gone from the organization, and Glen Taylor declined to comment when reached on Wednesday.
What was the impact of the Joe Smith saga on the Timberwolves?
The Wolves first signed Smith to a one-year deal in 1999 hoping the 1995 No. 1 overall pick could help franchise cornerstone Kevin Garnett break through in the West. Smith averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds his first season and signed another cut-rate deal the next year.
He was supposed to be Garnett's long-term frontcourt partner after All-Star Tom Gugliotta left. Instead, the scandal became a primary reason Minnesota struggled to build a true contender around Garnett. Smith started only nine games in the 1999-00 season before the deal was voided.
Any satisfaction Wolves fans feel now should come with empathy for Clippers fans. The long-term damage from losing five first-round picks is immense. For a team like the current Timberwolves, who are in a 1W-4L slump and have lost their last two games, every draft asset is vital for building a competitive [squad](/squad). The 1999 punishment haunted the franchise for years, limiting its ability to add talent around Garnett during his prime.
