The Clippers’ offseason isn’t just about what the NBA decided in its salary cap circumvention investigation. It’s also about what comes next for Steve Ballmer, and around the league, the fallout may not stop with the yearlong suspension from team activities.
On a recent ESPN segment, Brian Windhorst said the reaction from other owners has shifted sharply. “ I think [other owners] wanted to believe him, especially because they like him,” Windhorst said. “ The word that was said to me by a very influential person is that some of the other owners were aghast when they read this report…. regardless of what Steve said, the support that he had is no longer there… If Steve Ballmer elects to go to battle legally, I cannot predict what would happen within the league with the other owners.”
Windhorst also pointed back to the Timberwolves’ cap circumvention case in 2000, saying it took years and the team abandoning its fight with the league before some of its draft picks were returned. He added that there are different ways to get a favorable outcome in negotiations, and that some around the league believe pushing back and challenging the penalties is the right path.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division, Will Richard is trying to turn a strong rookie year into something even bigger. Selected 56th overall by the Warriors in the 2025 Draft, he averaged 6.4 points in 20.0 minutes across 69 games, including 21 starts. But the part of the season that stuck with him most was the end, when he was a DNP in Golden State’s play-in win over the Clippers and loss to the Suns.
“He ran into the rookie wall,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He had a great season, and then the last 20 games or so, he looked like a rookie.
He looked tired, and he didn’t have the same pop that he had earlier. That’s almost to be expected.”
Richard isn’t taking that as a setback. He said it became fuel for his offseason work.
“That was kind of my motivational drive towards the offseason,” Richard said. “Just working on things that I know will get me on the floor in those playoff (and) play-in games next year.”
He’s been focused on ball-handling, shooting off the move and off the catch, and getting out in transition.
In Los Angeles, the Lakers are making room for another permanent fixture outside Crypto.com Arena. The team announced that Phil Jackson will become the ninth statue at Star Plaza.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” said owner Jeanie Buss. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.
After he accepted my dad’s invitation to join the Lakers, Phil’s unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come. It is a great joy to be able to mark that achievement with the statue he so richly deserves.”
Jackson won 11 championships as a head coach, including five with the Lakers.
The Suns’ G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, also filled out its staff for second-year coach Paul Jesperson. Gerard Martin is back as an assistant coach, and Jimmy King and Ralik Wise are joining him in that role. Cedric Blossom, Rick Carter, and Coleman Sparling will serve as player development assistants.
In Other News...
Clippers Future Could Hinge On One Jalen Duren Decision
The Clippers keep looking for ways to add real long-term upside, and Jalen Duren has emerged as one of the more intriguing names to watch. The Detroit center is still in restricted free agency, and the broader picture around him matters in Los Angeles because the Clippers do not have much draft capital or many young pieces to lean on as they try to build beyond the present.
Durens situation could eventually create a rare opening for a team like the Clippers if the market breaks a certain way. His next move with Detroit will go a long way toward determining whether he stays put or becomes a potential target down the road, and for a franchise trying to find a path to sustainable talent, one front-office decision in July can carry a lot of weight by next summer. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Kawhi Trade Is Stuck On One Crucial NBA Fallout Issue
The Clippers long-discussed Kawhi Leonard deal has run into a procedural snag, with the trade delayed while the franchise works through the fallout from the NBAs cap-circumvention investigation. The front-office suspensions have left the team waiting on interim management to handle the final steps, turning what was supposed to be a straightforward transaction into a holding pattern.
Trent Redden is expected to oversee basketball operations while an interim governor replaces Steve Ballmer for the final approval, a wrinkle that has slowed things down but not changed the expectation around the deal itself. Sources say Toronto is still expected to get Leonard and Los Angeles is still expected to receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, multiple draft picks and a pick swap, with no renegotiation on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Still Havent Finalized The Kawhi Leonard Blockbuster
The Kawhi Leonard trade remains in limbo nearly a week after the agreement was struck on June 30, with the deal still not finalized as the Clippers work through a front office reshuffle triggered by suspensions of key executives. Before the transaction can be completed, Los Angeles needs fresh approval from interim decision-makers, a reminder that even a blockbuster trade can get tangled up in the bureaucracy behind the scenes.
There has been some chatter that Toronto might try to revisit the terms while the paperwork sits unfinished, but the early read from sources and analysts is that the original framework is still likely to hold. For the Clippers, the delay is less about changing the basketball logic of the move than about getting the right signatures in place, and until that happens, one of the biggest deals of the summer stays just out of reach. [Read more 🡒]