Aside from location and the privilege of playing next to a superstar duo of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers are one of the few premiere landing spots due to owner Steve Ballmer's spending habits.
Ballmer is known to reward players based on their performances and provide second chances to those who have earned them. This has been a trend for years, as he was not afraid to pay Leonard and experiment with Russell Westbrook.
Moreover, avoiding the luxury tax was a major component of the team's aggressive mentality at the recent deadline. The front office wanted to add talent without costing them, so P.J. Tucker was first moved to Utah.
This trade fed into Ballmer's fierce mindset, as additional transactions took place for the betterment of LA's playoff potential. They were also able to sign Ben Simmons to a minimum contract after a deal with the Hawks created an extra roster spot.
Nonetheless, Ballmer's competitive attitude is an advantage for the Clippers, but it will require rerouting as the NBA announced reconditioned rules on the luxury tax.
The NBA's new luxury tax guidelines take away from a major advantage the LA Clippers held
On July 1st, 2025, the NBA will roll out stricter rules on the luxury tax, which will hurt teams like the LA Clippers. This is because of Steve Ballmer's willingness to spend as the team owner.
The league will introduce starting on July 1 more stringent luxury tax rules that penalize high spending teams.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 20, 2025
For example
Every $3M that Boston spends on a Free Agent could cost an additional $25M.
Their key free agent is veteran Al Horford. https://t.co/MnnCS43s6W
The NBA's new rules create less of a penalty for franchises just over the luxury tax line and more for those who go way over it. This will force teams to hesitate before crossing the threshold, mainly because of the second apron.
Furthermore, the second apron is severe and should not be taken lightly, as the consequences may affect draft picks, trading, and free-agency signings. Though the Clippers are outside of the top ten in 2024-25 tax totals, this change is more of a punishment for Ballmer, as he has proven before to have no problem making the appropriate investments.
Additionally, ducking the luxury tax will now lose value because of a lower payout. Thus, teams will be more comfortable going a bit over the tax as the cost will be less.
That said, the NBA likely enforced these measures to target specific teams and their owners. Ballmer will not be able to justify the payout, which leaves the front office at square one to find a loophole or another approach.