The Golden State Warriors came close to landing Kawhi Leonard before February’s mid-season deadline, but the deal never got across the finish line. At the time, that probably felt like a missed opportunity. After Wednesday’s punishments for the Clippers, it looks more like the Warriors dodged a mess they would not have had to absorb anyway.
The NBA’s ruling hit Los Angeles hard. The Clippers were stripped of five first-round picks, fined $30 million and saw Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank and Gillian Zucker suspended.
Leonard, though, escaped with far less damage than anyone might have expected. He has to pay back $700,000 in improper benefits, while his business rep and uncle, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from any future NBA dealings.
Just as important for the Raptors, Leonard’s contract was not voided and he was not suspended. That means the trade to Toronto will go through, and Leonard will be available on opening night against the Chicago Bulls on October 21.
Golden State had reason to think it might be the team in that spot. The Warriors had moved on from their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo and quickly shifted focus to Leonard, believing they had a deal close to done in February. But they never finalized terms with the Clippers.
After that deadline passed, their interest reportedly cooled once the offseason began. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors had multiple reasons to step back. They wanted a contract extension, Leonard was angling toward Toronto, and there was also concern that punishment was coming.
The Raptors clearly shared that concern, too, which is why they hit pause on the trade.
Now the picture is different. With the investigation resolved for the moment, the Warriors can only look back and see how close they were to a very different outcome. Instead of Leonard and Stephen Curry, they’ll go into the season with a roster that is underwhelming until six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler returns from injury.
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