The Golden State Warriors, for not having made too many moves, have been quite busy this offseason. While the front office’s plan to make sweeping additions to the roster failed, it has done what it needs to in order to keep its core group of players in town, with Draymond Green being a part of that crew.
Green re-signed with Golden State in free agency on a one-year, $27.7 million contract after the team missed out on several big-name targets. While it took a while to iron out the details of this deal, there was never any doubt that Green would be returning to the Warriors. Across the league, though, a Kawhi Leonard trade hangs in the balance because of a salary cap circumvention case being levied against the Los Angeles Clippers, with Green recently weighing in on the matter.
Draymond Green Takes Unexpected Stance on Clippers, Kawhi Leonard Case
“If the punishments aren’t steep, everybody should do it, if it’s just gonna be a slap on the wrist, then everybody should do it and every player should be trying to do it… I think this raises
Leonard and the Clippers have been the subject of an NBA investigation that revolves around alleged phony sponsorship deals being made in order to get the star forward more money than the league’s salary cap would allow. Of course, the argument is that these fake companies and deals were created by team owner Steve Ballmer, which would obviously violate a handful of the league’s rules.
Making this situation even more complicated is that the Clippers actually agreed to a trade with the Toronto Raptors involving Leonard earlier this offseason. However, the two sides decided to put the deal on hold, as they will instead sit back and wait for the results of the investigation to come to light before deciding whether or not they want to finalize this trade.
The main issue that could prevent Toronto from wanting to complete this move is a potential punishment for Leonard. Nobody knows what that punishment could look like, so if it is as severe as some people think it will be, the Raptors would have good reason to back out of this deal. When discussing the case, Green made it very clear that he thinks significant punishments should be levied as a result of this incident.
“If the punishments aren’t steep, everybody should do it. If it’s just gonna be a slap on the wrist, then everybody should do it, and every player should be trying to do it,” Green opined on “The Draymond Green Show.” “From Kawhi Leonard’s standpoint, I ain’t mad at him … I think this raises the question about the salary cap. We’re playing in a league where a team just sold for $12.5 billion … Let the punishment be getting rid of the salary cap.”
Does Draymond Green Make a Fair Point on Clippers, Kawhi Leonard Case?
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 15: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers controls the ball against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Intuit Dome on April 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The NBA’s strict salary cap rules have been on full display when it comes to the roster management of teams across the league all offseason long. Simply put, teams don’t want to find themselves in the second apron of the salary cap, so they are attempting to get creative when it comes to finding ways to make the cap work in their favor.
There are legal ways to do that, and illegal ways to do that, and should the allegations against Leonard and the Clippers be true, that would obviously fall in the latter category. While Green’s suggestion of getting rid of the salary cap will never happen, he’s right in saying that stiff punishments need to be handed out if these allegations are true, which is why this case will be worth monitoring as it continues to unfold.
Warriors’ Draymond Green Calls for ‘Steep’ Punishment in Kawhi Leonard, Clippers Case