Clippers rumor opens door to reacquiring first-round picks stripped by NBA

Steve Ballmer’s decision to accept the NBA’s punishment may not be complete surrender.It could be the Clippers’ only plausible path toward reclaiming some of the five first-round picks stripped from them.After initially threatening to explore legal remedies, Ballmer suddenly reversed course and announced Sunday that the organization had paid its $30 million fine and would comply with the penalties arising from the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap scandal. Ballmer and business president