Kawhi Leonard was only slapped on the wrist by the NBA following the resolution of the salary cap scandal involving him and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA fined Leonard $700,000, but he did not receive a suspension or have his contract voided.
The league also hit the Clippers franchise with a $30 million fine and stripped them of five consecutive first-round draft picks spanning from 2029 through 2033. Team owner Steve Ballmer was slapped with a one-year suspension from all league and team activities for knowingly facilitating off-court income opportunities for Leonard through team sponsors.
The executive fallout also sidelined president of business operations Gillian Zucker for one year without pay and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months without pay
Clearly, the Clippers got the short end of the stick.
Reason Why Kawhi Leonard’s Contract Did Not Get Voided
The reason why Kawhi did not get a stiffer punishment relative to the Clippers was that the NBA could not find any solid evidence of Leonard’s involvement in the salary cap circumvention.
“They had to have every form of evidence if they were going to go down the path of voiding Kawhi Leonard’s contract or administering a suspension. And when you look at the report, you know, clearly the league didn’t,” Charania said.
“They had to have every form of evidence if they were going to go down the path of voiding Kawhi Leonard’s contract or administering a suspension. And when you look at the report, you know, clearly
The probe, which initially stemmed from journalist Pablo Torre’s reporting on unrecorded endorsement contracts, also resulted in a five-year NBA ban for Leonard’s longtime business adviser and uncle, Dennis Robertson.
The investigation proved that the organization orchestrated unauthorized business opportunities with corporate partners to covertly amplify Leonard’s income outside of his player contract.
The Clippers have since vowed to comply with the NBA penalties. Leonard said he complied mere hours after the resolution was announced.
With the legal dispute put to rest, the NBA officially approved and finalized the blockbuster offseason trade sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, allowing the two-time NBA champion to move forward with the Canadian city.
Kawhi Leonard Expected To Sign New Contract With The Raptors
Kawhi Leonard is expected to sign a two-year contract extension worth nearly $124 million with the Toronto Raptors following his official return to the franchise on Monday.
Leonard is eligible to sign the two-year extension that would earn him over $62 million per season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Meanwhile, NBA insider Marc Stein believed it would not take long before the Raptors finally signed Leonard to his two-year contract.
“Safe bet: The wait for Leonard’s expected two-year extension with the Raptors will be a lot shorter than what Toronto and its fans just endured to bring the 2019 NBA Finals MVP back to Canada,” Stein reported on Monday.
Leonard has one year and roughly $50.3 million remaining on his current deal for the upcoming season.
Kawhi’s extension would give him premium money until he turns 38 years old.
Leonard is expected to elevate the Raptors into Eastern Conference contenders and anchor their push toward another title following his official return.
In 2019, Leonard led Toronto to its first-ever NBA championship before leaving for the Clippers just two months later.
This time, Leonard will be sharing the court with franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes and guard RJ Barrett as they look to capture the team’s magic in 2019.
New Details Emerge on Why NBA Did Not Void Kawhi Leonard’s Contract