Donald Sterling has yet to formally sign off on the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer.

Sterling hopes the NBA will rescind its $2.5 million fine and lifetime ban from all league activities.

"In terms of saying something in a draft press release that indicated they would be dismissing the lifetime ban and the fine, that is not true at all," said the person, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. "That doesn't mean that [Sterling] wouldn't have read something like that into it.

"But if they interpreted it that way that is wrong and there is no thought of lifting the lifetime ban or the fine being rescinded."