Hey, remember Joe Smith? The Clippers certainly do…

In the early 2000s, the Minnesota Timberwolves committed one of the biggest scandals in NBA contract history. The confusion first started when forward Joe Smith, a former first overall pick, signed a small deal with the Timberwolves.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 25: Joe Smith #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards on January 25, 2003 at the MCI Center in Washington, DC. 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 G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Now, players taking pay cuts is nothing new, and certainly not illegal by any means. However, then General Manager Kevin McHale had promised Smith a larger deal when the Wolves acquired his Bird rights after three seasons of minimum deals. With the typical restrictions lifted, McHale promised Minnesota would give Smith the deal he so badly wanted and may have even deserved.

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The Wolves were docked five first-round picks, Glen Taylor was fined a lot of (and still not enough) money, Joe Smith’s deal was voided, and McHale was banned from team operations for a year.

You know who probably should’ve brushed up on their NBA history?

The Los Angeles Clippers.

INGLEWOOD, CA – MARCH 11: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 11, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Funny enough, if they had done that, they’d realize that they could’ve asked so much more of Kawhi Leonard than they ended up doing if they were going to cheat this badly anyway. Instead of asking Kawhi for a pay cut, they gave him the biggest extension they could, and then gave him even more money (hence the cap…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hey-remember-joe-smith-clippers-120000209.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-03 12:00:00

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