The Los Angeles Clippers could be destined for NBA purgatory as soon as their historic punishment for the Kawhi Leonard endorsement scandal begins to strip them of precious roster-building property.
Leonard, in the meantime, seems poised to flee the scenario largely unscathed.
An agreed-upon commerce to ship Leonard from the Clippers to the Toronto Raptors stays “on observe to be accomplished” now that the NBA’s investigation is full, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
“I’m instructed each groups did talk, final night time, an intention to maneuver ahead,” Charania mentioned Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
On Wednesday, the NBA introduced it was stripping the Clippers of 5 first-round draft picks (2029-33) and fining them $30 million for violating the league’s wage cap circumvention guidelines, having discovered the workforce funneled cash to Leonard by means of 4 endorsement offers, together with one with Aspiration Companions.
Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer was suspended for a yr for “knowingly looking for to assist Mr. Leonard receive off-court earnings alternatives,” the NBA mentioned after finishing a probe that it had opened final yr following a report on “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast.
Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution, however he was not suspended, nor was his contract voided.
And, quickly, he’s reportedly anticipated to be traded to the Raptors, who had agreed through the investigation to amass the 35-year-old star for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and a haul of picks, together with 2031 and 2033 first-rounders. The commerce couldn’t undergo till the investigation concluded.
That’s why ESPN insider Brian Windhorst described Leonard as an “unmitigated winner.”
“He collected tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in endorsement offers which aren’t permitted by the NBA, and he was fined $700,000 in restitution,” Windhorst mentioned on “Get Up” on Thursday. “That’s the best funding you possibly can ever make. It’s higher than a Ponzi scheme that the Aspiration man was working, I’ll inform you that.”
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, led the Raptors to a championship in 2019 throughout a earlier, one-year stint with Toronto.
“He’s very probably going to get traded to Toronto, the place … he’s going to get a contract extension value tens of tens of millions,” Windhorst continued. “He’s going to revenue from this enormously. And my guess is, on opening night time, the Toronto Raptors followers will cheer him as a result of he gained them a championship [in 2019]. He can’t get on the aircraft to Toronto quick sufficient.”
A seven-time All-Star, Leonard averaged 27.9 factors and 6.4 rebounds per recreation final season.
Ought to the commerce undergo, Leonard would develop into the headliner on a contending Raptors workforce that completed because the Japanese Convention’s No. 5 seed final season and employs constructing blocks together with Scottie Barnes, R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
The Clippers, in the meantime, would pair Ingram with level guard Darius Garland and No. 5 choose Keaton Wagler in a possible rebuild, with their draft property set to start out disappearing in 2029.
