Clippers receive massive Leonard punishment

The Clippers have slowly shifted toward a rebuild over much of the last year, and now they once again have none of their own first-round picks to rebuild with.

In a shocking decision by Adam Silver and the NBA after concluding a cap circumvention investigation, the organization has essentially been deemed guilty of funneling money under the table to land Kawhi Leonard in 2019.

Various fines and suspensions were handed out to high-ranking members within the organization, including $30 million for owner Steve Ballmer, and LA is also being stripped of 5 first-round draft picks from 2029 to 2023.

Shortly after the announcement, the Clippers released a statement:

“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence. What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy.

For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith, and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence.

We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”

Ballmer wanted to exit the shadow that the Lakers franchise had always cast over the Clippers. He was building a state-of-the-art arena, and the Lakers were working on trying to sign Leonard, fresh off acquiring LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The former Microsoft CEO needed to make a splash.

Ballmer and general manager Lawrence Frank then executed the most significant pair of moves that shifted the NBA landscape and have shaped the league’s history ever since. LA traded 5 first-round picks, Danilo Gallinari, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George, in order to also secure Leonard as a free agent.

The Clippers entered the next season as legit title contenders and were viewed by many as the favorites to win the NBA Finals. But it was the Lakers who went on to win the title in 2020, while the Clippers exited in the conference semifinals and conference finals in consecutive years. The Clippers have not made it past the first round of the playoffs since.

Meanwhile, the player they traded away for George has won back-to-back MVPs and a championship.

7 years later, the price to land Leonard in free agency and pair him with George adds up to 10 first-round picks as well as a potential first-ballot Hall of Famer who was only 21 years old at the time.

To make matters worse, the loss of these draft picks comes within one year of trading away cornerstone pieces Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac.

Leonard is headed back to Toronto, where he helped the Raptors win their first championship in franchise history in 2019. He will not be suspended but will have to pay “$700,000 in restitution for improper benefits the Clippers provided to his uncle and former business rep.”

Leonard, through his new agent, Harrison Gaines, also issued a statement:

“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am. I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.

I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.

For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.”

Before the cap circumvention punishment was handed out, the trade was already viewed as one of the most consequential in recent memory. Now it almost appears as a death sentence for at least another 7 to 8 years.

The team does own several first-rounders during the stretch that they acquired by trading away Leonard, Harden, and Zubac, and they have a nice young guard duo of Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler to build around, but competing for a championship will likely not be in their cards for quite some time.

Receiving this punishment and trying to rebuild at the same time will be extremely challenging. The only way to add young talent will be by moving pieces that already exist on the roster, and it will be much more difficult to sell free agents on this being a franchise that is ready to compete.