After an offseason filled with moves to acquire notable names, the Los Angeles Clippers have gone from a star-studded team with some promise to a franchise with an uncertain future due to a scandal involving Kawhi Leonard.
Team owner Steve Ballmer and his superstar forward could be in a lot of trouble due to some shady tactics to circumvent the NBA salary cap. All signs are pointing to the Clippers being punished by the league for their actions, which could prove costly for them, as they could be a heavyweight in the Western Conference during the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.
Severe Punishments Potentially on Horizon for Clippers
The punishments handed out by the league could be severe, with Leonard’s contract potentially being voided, loss of draft picks and hefty fines being imposed. In the meantime, Ballmer and company are trying to stay positive and maintain their innocence in this tricky situation.
During a recent event for Sports Business Journal, Ballmer was asked if he’d like to address the scandal hanging over the Clippers franchise with the start of the 2025-26 campaign right around the corner.
“This is not a fun thing to be through,” Ballmer said. “I was personally defrauded through our interactions with the company and some of the staff. The fraud sort of extended broadly through that. We had many relationships with the company sponsor, activation was through carbon credits. A whole bunch of complicated stuff, but the important thing is our relationship with the company and our players’ relationship with the company were independent, which is important under the rules of the NBA.
“I feel quite confident in that, that we abided by the rules. So I welcome the investigation that the NBA is doing. It’s a great way, from our perspective, to get the facts out there. And as I say, there’s nothing fun about being highlighted in this way. It’s a whole lot more fun for building a great arena, but this too shall pass.”
Kawhi Leonard’s Legacy May Forever Be Tarnished
For Ballmer, any potential punishment, from a financial perspective, will be nothing but a slap on the wrist for someone worth upwards of $150 billion. It’s not a great look regardless of the outcome, but he’ll mostly be fine in the end.
As for Leonard, things really haven’t gone as planned ever since he chose to leave the Toronto Raptors in favor of the Clippers. In fact, many of the off-court distractions and issues began with the San Antonio Spurs when he forced his way out of town, which is something unheard of for the storied franchise with Gregg Popovich at the helm.
Leonard has two NBA titles to his credit and will go down as arguably one of the best two-way players in league history. However, there’s a chance he will be remembered for all the off-the-court issues and being more trouble than he’s worth, especially considering he has rarely been able to stay healthy during his time in Los Angeles and might end up being one of Ballmer’s biggest regrets as an NBA team owner