With media day approaching, the Clippers’ offseason is finally ready for a full accounting. It was a wild stretch for the franchise - one that included plenty of strong moves, plenty of turbulence, and the national spotlight shining on the investigation involving Kawhi Leonard and the organization. Even with all that noise, the front office still managed to come out of it looking like it made the most of the situation.
The clearest win came at the top of the list: trading Kawhi Leonard for valuable picks.
When that deal to the Toronto Raptors was first announced, it already looked like a strong piece of business. The Clippers sent out a 35-year-old superstar and brought back Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a first-round swap. That was a solid haul on its own.
But once the NBA publicly informed the world that the Clippers circumvented the cap, the return took on a different shine. The team had to give up five first-round picks because of its actions, which made what it got for Leonard look even better in hindsight.
If the Clippers had kept Leonard through the final year of his contract, or waited until after the league released its findings to move him, the return could have looked very different. Instead, the organization still has a decent amount of draft capital to work with.
The next-best move was landing Max Strus for practically nothing.
The Cavaliers had every reason to draw interest when they put Strus on the market. He’s the kind of player teams chase: a proven veteran and an elite 3-and-D fit who can plug into just about any lineup. His contract also expires next summer, which only adds to his value under the new CBA.
Even with all of that going for him, the Clippers brought him in through the blockbuster Peyton Watson trade without giving up much at all - just the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate and a 2027 second-round pick. That’s a huge win for the Clippers, and Strus figures to be a major part of their system for as long as he’s around.
No. 3 on the list is signing Rui Hachimura on a discounted deal.
This one stands out immediately because the Clippers somehow got one of the best power forwards on the open market for two years and $28 million, plus a club option. That is a team-friendly number for a player of Hachimura’s caliber.
The 28-year-old just finished a playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers in which he averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 54.9% from the field and 56.9% from three. On a contract like this, those numbers make the value crystal clear. Lawrence Frank deserves a strong round of applause for getting Hachimura at that price.
In Other News...
Brandon Ingram Now Looms Over The Clippers Biggest Season Question
Brandon Ingrams offseason has already become one of the more closely watched storylines around the Clippers, even before camp fully gets going. The forward had surgery to address a heel spur that bothered him late last season, a move designed to clean up an issue that clearly lingered and affected him when it mattered most.
What makes it tricky for the Clippers is the lack of a detailed update on where his recovery stands. The team is expected to be patient with his health and avoid pushing him into anything that could create a setback, which leaves his status for the upcoming season hanging over a roster that would like clarity, not another unanswered question. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Punishment Shows How Ugly Another NBA Cap Probe Could Get
The NBAs yearlong probe into the Clippers ended with a severe penalty package tied to Kawhi Leonards contract, a reminder of how aggressively the league can move when it believes the salary cap has been crossed. Leonard was fined but avoided a suspension, and the fallout centered instead on team-level discipline, with the league going after the structure and the people around it rather than the star at the middle of the deal.
What makes the episode especially relevant around the league is the sense that it may not be the last of its kind. Another investigation is already circling a contract that has raised questions, and if the league concludes there was cap circumvention there too, the punishment could be just as painful. For front offices, the message is hard to miss: the cap rules are not just paperwork, and the league appears willing to make an example out of anyone it thinks tried to work around them. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Kawhi Scandal Could Suddenly Feel Bigger Than L.A
The latest cap-related investigation hanging over the Bucks has a familiar shape for anyone around the Clippers. Milwaukees four-year, $64 million deal with Gary Trent Jr. is now being examined in connection with earlier, smaller agreements, with the question centering on whether the sides had a larger arrangement waiting in the wings. For Clippers fans, it is hard not to hear echoes of the Kawhi Leonard case, the one that put the franchise in the leagues crosshairs and turned a contract story into something much bigger.
What makes this one especially worth watching from Los Angeles is the potential scale of the fallout. If the Bucks are found to have skirted the rules, the penalties could be as severe as, or even worse than, what the Clippers endured, which is a reminder that these cases are not just about one player or one signing. They can reach deep into a teams reputation, its front office credibility, and the way the rest of the league views every move it makes from here. [Read more 🡒]