Gilbert Arenas isn’t holding back when it comes to the Clippers’ reputation. On a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, the former All-Star guard said no superstar will want to join the franchise after the messy fallout with Kawhi Leonard, calling L.A. a “graveyard for big names.”
“Let’s be real, after that whole Clippers Kawhi situation, no superstar touching that jersey again,” stated Arenas. “Y’all turned a Finals MVP into a cautionary tale. The league is watching like, ‘Nah, I’m good, bro, I’ll take my talents anywhere else.’ Clippers are officially the graveyard for big names.”
For Arenas, it’s not the scandal itself that makes the Clippers look bad. Rather, Gilbert says the problem is how they’ve responded to the allegations. If they don’t show enough support for Kawhi here, he predicts it will have devastating consequences on their ability to lure free agents going forward.
“The fact that you’re gonna treat Kawhi like this, and he’s the only superstar that’s gone there willingly. When you talk about getting someone of that stature in that jersey, and this is how you’re gonna end the relationship? Your money can’t change the history of something. You’ve bit the Kawhi bullet; you have to sit with it. It’s more about the legacy you’re trying to leave, and if you throw dirt on his name, a lot of other free agents are going to be reluctant to come there.”
The ongoing Aspiration scandal has exposed a potential illegal scheme by the Clippers to pay Kawhi outside the restrictions of the salary cap. Mountains of circumstantial evidence suggest a link between Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and a “no-show” endorsement deal between Aspiration and Leonard. Besides Ballmer investing millions into the fraudulent company, Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong also made a small investment shortly before one of Kawhi’s payments.
Whether the Clippers are guilty or innocent of circumventing the cap, how they treat Kawhi in this process will matter a lot. While they haven’t said anything against his name publicly, there have been anonymous leaks that the franchise is happy to part ways with the two-time champion.
While that may be true, star power is the best way to compete in the modern NBA, and if the Clippers let their biggest star take the heat, it could deter future free agents from wanting to sign there. This would be a devastating reality for a Clippers team that has yet to make the NBA Finals.
As it stands, the best course of action for Ballmer and the Clippers is to deny everything and shield Leonard from the worst of the heat. If they protect him, then it reflects well on their relationship with big-name players, and it will help them recruit more when the chance arises.
Gilbert’s point is simple: stars pay attention to how franchises treat their own. If the Clippers let Kawhi twist in the wind during the biggest scandal of his career, that reputation will stick longer than any arena they build. For a team that’s still chasing its first Finals trip, that’s a risk they can’t afford.
