The Los Angeles Clippers are no strangers to headlines, but this season, the spotlight has been less about highlight-reel plays and more about off-court turbulence and financial maneuvering.
It all started with Kawhi Leonard’s eye-popping $28 million endorsement deal - a figure that raised enough eyebrows to trigger a formal NBA investigation into potential salary-cap circumvention. That scrutiny has put both Leonard and the Clippers front and center in league offices, and the ripple effects are being felt throughout the organization.
Now, with the regular season well underway, the focus has shifted to the court - and things haven’t gone much smoother there. The Clippers are off to a rocky 5-15 start, and James Harden didn’t sugarcoat it when he admitted the team is “facing difficulties in every way possible.” That’s not just a player venting frustration - it’s a reflection of a team searching for identity, cohesion, and consistency in a season that’s already threatening to spiral.
But the Clippers’ challenges go deeper than wins and losses. Financially, the franchise is operating $6.8 million above the luxury tax line, and according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, that’s a number the front office is actively trying to trim.
And the motivation isn’t just about saving money - it’s strategic. If the Clippers can duck under the tax line this season, they’ll reset their repeater tax clock, giving them more flexibility over the next three years.
In a league where financial agility can be just as important as roster depth, that’s a big deal.
The problem? The Clippers have already mortgaged much of their future to build this roster.
Their first-round picks are tied up through 2030 - a result of blockbuster trades that brought in Leonard, Harden, and others. The 2027 pick swap belongs to the Thunder.
The 2028 first-rounder and a 2029 swap are headed to the 76ers. That kind of draft capital depletion leaves little room for error - or for further penalties.
And that’s where the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s endorsement deal takes on even more weight. If the league determines that the Clippers violated salary-cap rules, they could face additional sanctions, including the loss of more draft assets.
It’s no wonder the front office is reportedly working behind the scenes to limit long-term salary commitments. In a tight cap environment, every dollar - and every contract - matters.
On the court, Kawhi Leonard is trying to keep things in perspective. After a recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks, he reminded reporters that the season is far from over.
“Yeah. I mean, what’d you say, 5-15?
It’s still early. Got 62 games left,” Leonard said.
“We just gotta be in that second quarter [of the season], the last three-fourths of the season, and see what we can do.”
That’s the kind of veteran mindset you want from your franchise cornerstone - calm, focused, and forward-looking. But the Clippers didn’t bring in Leonard just to keep the locker room steady.
They brought him in to change the franchise’s trajectory. That’s why they added Harden.
That’s why they brought in Chris Paul and Brook Lopez this offseason - to build a veteran core that could contend in a loaded Western Conference.
So far, though, that vision hasn’t materialized. The talent is there, but the chemistry?
Still a work in progress. The consistency?
Elusive. And with the team’s financial future hanging in the balance, the margin for error is shrinking by the day.
The Clippers still have time to turn this around - both on the court and in the books. But the clock is ticking, and the pressure is mounting.
For a franchise that went all-in on star power, the next few months will be about more than just wins and losses. They’ll be about proving that this experiment can still work - before the cost, both literal and figurative, becomes too steep to bear.