The Los Angeles Clippers offseason scandal involving Kawhi Leonard was one of the primary talking points of the offseason. While this naturally became a concern for the Clippers heading into the new campaign as well, there was only a faint idea of what the consequences of the salary cap circumvention practices could be.
On that note, NBA insider Tom Haberstroh recently revealed that the league had been weighing the idea of different penalties on the Clippers. While excluding the notion of a forced sale, he shared:
“Maybe it’s a case where Adam Silver levies some sort of punishment, whether it’s forcing Kawhi Leonard’s contract to be invalidated, and I think that could be one of the things that is on the table. That’s what David Stern did with the Joe Smith cap circumvention scandal with the Minnesota Timberwolves decades ago.”
“The interesting thing on that is it provides a conundrum where, I think, if Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you’re going to see a frenzy for his services with the likes of the Lakers, the Golden State Warriors, or the New York Knicks; they would try to go get Kawhi Leonard at this stage as a free agent. That actually would create more hysteria and chaos around the league than actually forcing the Clippers’ hand.”
Although Haberstroh reiterated that losing picks and having Kawhi Leonard’s contract invalidated were on the table, he also noted that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer could also be banned from the arena.
While he noted that the latter may be the most hurtful punishment, when considering the chaos that may stem from Leonard’s contract being invalidated, it may be a more favorable outcome.
Kawhi Leonard Could Garner Significant Interest In Free Agency
Adam Silver‘s approach toward penalties doesn’t appear as harsh as his predecessor’s. However, this doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibilities of stern action cannot be ruled out.
As Haberstroh mentioned, should the NBA choose to void Kawhi Leonard’s contract, the seven-time All-Star is sure to generate a considerable amount of trade interest, especially at this stage of the campaign.
Although there have been concerns raised about Leonard’s availability, the superstar has been nothing short of incredible this season. Despite missing some time early on, since returning to the floor, the 34-year-old has looked like an unstoppable force, effectively keeping L.A.’s postseason hopes alive.
This season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging a career-best 28.0 points to go with 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range. With Leonard appearing to be at the peak of his powers, the seven-time All-Star seems confident in his abilities.
While it seems unlikely for the NBA to invalidate Kawhi Leonard’s contract at this stage of the season, it wouldn’t be out of the question for this to happen during the offseason. When also considering that the Clippers will be revisiting their plans this offseason after making some intriguing roster moves at the trade deadline, the situation may not be as unfavorable for Los Angeles.
