The Clippers are headed into this week’s Board of Governors meetings with more than one cloud hanging over them.
The biggest is the reported Department of Justice inquiry into the team’s dealings with Kawhi Leonard. Michael McCann of Sportico examined what that federal investigation could mean, after prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York opened a criminal probe tied to allegations that the Clippers arranged “no-show” endorsement deals with four companies to pay Leonard more than his typical NBA salary.
A criminal inquiry, as McCann notes, does not automatically lead to charges. Some investigations end without any finding of criminal conduct.
But the federal government also has far more power than the NBA when it comes to forcing the production of evidence and testimony. If a team or individuals fail to cooperate, or if anyone lies to prosecutors, the consequences can become criminal - and those penalties are much steeper than the league discipline the Clippers already faced for salary-cap circumvention.
There’s also a fresh wrinkle on the roster side: Bradley Beal is changing jersey numbers. Etienne Catalan reported that Beal will move from No. 0 to No. 3 next season. That number has carried weight in Clippers history, since nobody wore it after Chris Paul’s first exit from the franchise in 2017.
Paul’s relationship with the organization turned bitter in his second Clippers stint, when he again wore No. 3. Earlier this year, he said on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast that president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told him his No. 3 would be retired at the Intuit Dome, before he was later told he was no longer welcome around the team.
Beal addressed the reaction on social media. “ Is that the topic of the day?
Lol,” Beal wrote initially, followed by: “ (Paul’s) a legend! The HISTORY and BRAND can’t be touched, nor erased!!!
“
The Clippers figure to remain a central talking point when the Board of Governors meets Monday and Tuesday.
In Other News...
Clippers Finally End A Damaging Saga With Serious Fallout Ahead
The Clippers have finally reached the point where the off-court drama has turned into a settled punishment, with the NBAs investigation into salary cap circumvention now producing real consequences for the franchise. Along with the leagues ruling, team owner Steve Ballmer issued a statement apologizing for how the matter unfolded and stressing his commitment to the organizations future, a notable step after a stretch of uncertainty that had lingered over the club.
What comes next is the part the Clippers cant avoid: the fallout will touch both the front office and the team-building pipeline, with discipline handed down across multiple levels of the organization. Ballmers statement suggested a desire to move on, even as he acknowledged disagreement with parts of the leagues findings, but the larger question is how much damage this episode leaves behind and how quickly the Clippers can put it in the rearview mirror. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Just Became Part Of A Brutal NBA Warning Story
The Clippers have spent years trying to build their own identity in Los Angeles, but the larger shadow has never really gone away. On a recent discussion, NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon tied that dynamic to another cross-town rivalry, comparing the Clippers battle for relevance with the Lakers to the Nets place opposite the Knicks, and suggesting it has long shaped how the franchise has operated.
The bigger concern, as Joey Linn noted, is how that pressure can warp decision-making. The Clippers have already taken major swings in pursuit of a breakthrough, including the moves for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and the warning here is that an inferiority complex can lead a front office into territory it might not otherwise consider. For a team still trying to prove it can stand on its own in its own market, that is a problem with real consequences. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Punishment Just Took A Turn Fans Couldnt Ignore
Steve Ballmers response to the NBAs salary-cap circumvention punishment has now settled into compliance, with the Clippers owner choosing not to challenge the league in court after the franchise was hit with a $30 million fine. Ballmer also apologized to fans and NBA owners, saying he accepted responsibility as the Clippers worked through one of the most significant penalties in recent team history.
The leagues discipline still cuts deep, though, with the loss of five first-round picks, suspensions for Ballmer and team executives, and a compliance program hanging over the franchise. Even with the league matter addressed for now, the wider picture is not finished, since a separate federal investigation tied to the Clippers dealings involving Kawhi Leonard is still moving forward. [Read more 🡒]