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The NBA concluded its investigation into the Clippers circumventing the cap to offer Kawhi Leonard more money than they were allowed, found proof of malfeasance, and came down hard on the franchise by docking five first-round picks, levying a $ 30 million fine on Steve Ballmer, and suspending the owner and other executives. The Clippers have denied any wrongdoing and want to fight the decision.
On the Leonard side, the punishment wasn’t as severe. Kawhi was fined $700,000, and his uncle and former manager, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from engaging any team on behalf of any employee for five years. Leonard released a statement in which he didn’t admit to any wrongdoing by himself, but accepted responsibility for the mistakes of his inner circle.
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It was an interesting and somewhat unexpected conclusion to a year-long saga that began when journalist Pablo Torre brought to light initial evidence of cap circumvention, prompting Ballmer to deny any wrongdoing in an ESPN interview and forcing the league to launch the investigation. Those who followed the subsequent podcasts from Torre about the topic were likely convinced the Clippers and Leonard had broken the rules, but whether the league would reach the same conclusion and actually punish the parties involved wasn’t as clear. In the end, the result of the official investigation was enough for Adam Silver to drop the hammer on the Clippers.
Leonard, meanwhile, escapes largely unscathed. The fine is tiny compared to the under-the-table money he reportedly got. His contract won’t be voided, so he’ll land in Toronto, where he might get an extension and play out the last few years of his career before entering the Hall of Fame. This entire situation will not destroy his reputation, as the franchise and Uncle Dennis will be the ones blamed for it all while Kawhi will be painted as a largely innocent party to it. Spurs fans looking for some cathartic comeuppance can’t possibly be satisfied, since nothing significant actually happened to the targets of their persistent rage.
Let’s start with Uncle Dennis. The fact that Robertson has been banned from doing…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kawhi-leonard-clippers-scandal-won-014145835.html
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Publish date : 2026-09-04 01:41:00
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