The NBA went as far as it could under the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it came to punishing the Clippers for salary cap circumvention. On the team side, the league unloaded just about every sanction available.
Kawhi Leonard, though, came out of the investigation with a much lighter hit. He was ordered to pay $700,000 to the league even after investigators found that he and business manager Dennis Robertson violated circumvention rules by “pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities.” Leonard also did not reimburse the Clippers for personal expenses, which were presumably worth $700,000, even though his endorsement deals were valued at more than $60 million.
That’s led to questions about whether the penalty fit the findings. Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports argued that it did not, and an anonymous NBA player made the same point in blunt fashion: “I think it could have been worse,” the player told Yahoo Sports.
“Seven hundred-thousand dollars probably ain’t nothing to [Leonard], so he can just pay it and get back to playing. He didn’t get suspended or anything.
Be careful. Watch what you got going on.”
There was at least one move Leonard made that appears to have helped limit the damage. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Leonard was shown some “early findings” in June, around the time he decided to fire Robertson. Robertson had pushed for the “income opportunities” on Leonard’s behalf, and he was essentially banned from having anything to do with the league for five years.
If Leonard does end up being traded to the Raptors as expected, Toronto comes out looking like another beneficiary of the situation. Leonard avoided a suspension, and the NBA did not void his contract.
Still, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca noted that the Raptors would be taking on real risk by completing the deal, since Toronto would be giving up two unprotected first-round picks and a swap for a 35-year-old with a lengthy injury history. Leonard is also expected to sign a lucrative extension after the trade is completed.
The case also invites comparisons to a previous cap-circumvention scandal. Zach Kram of ESPN pointed to the Timberwolves’ Joe Smith situation from 2000 as a possible guide to what might come next for the Clippers.
And Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports highlighted what he viewed as the harshest part of the league’s response: owner Steve Ballmer being suspended from all league and team activities for one year. Haberstroh also said Ballmer could face a lifetime ban from the NBA if he attempts to circumvent the salary cap again.
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