Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers is guarded by Moses Moody #4 of the Golden State Warriors
Getty
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers is guarded by Moses Moody #4 of the Golden State Warriors
It has been 10 years since the Golden State Warriors benefitted from a quirk in NBA financial rules–a spike in the league’s income–that allowed for a flood of cap space going to the defending Western Conference champions, cap space that allowed the team to sign star Kevin Durant and create a superteam that won back-to-back championships.
It is an entirely different scenario, but another NBA quirk set up a stunning turn of events that would end with the Warriors adding another star–this time, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
There are many possibilities on hand for how the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver will finally punish Leonard and the Clippers as the league conducts its investigation into an allegation from the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” that Leonard and the Clippers worked out a cap-circumvention scheme by paying Leonard to do no-show endorsement work for a company called Aspiration.
It’s possible that there will be no punishment whatsoever, though that’s a longshot. Certainly, there is the possibility of draft picks being docked and fines being levied. But the ultimate question is whether Silver would also punish Leonard as part of his rulings, and invalidate the $50 million left on his contract.
Warriors Could Land Kawhi Leonard if Contract Invalidated
That’s where the Warriors could benefit. The players union would surely object, but if Silver terminates Leonard’s remaining contract, he would hit free agency–and be eligible to sign anywhere in the NBA. That could include Golden State, even if it would be on a minor contract.
That was a possibility floated by longtime NBA insider Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports, who said this week that Leonard could be tossed into the free-agent pile this summer, forbidden to return to the Clippers.
Leonard is averaging 28.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and if he would be seeking a place to compete on a one-year deal, the Warriors could at least offer a veteran group and a chance to play with Stephen Curry.
Said Haberstroh: “The interesting thing on that is it provides a conundrum where I think if Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you’re now going to see a frenzy for his services, with the likes of the Lakers, with the likes of the Golden State Warriors or the New York Knicks—they would try to go get Kawhi Leonard at this stage as a free agent. That would create more hysteria and chaos around the league than actually forcing the Clippers’ hand.”
Tough Call for Adam Silver
There would be legal questions, though, about ending Leonard’s contract with the Clippers abruptly, and if that possibility intimidates Silver from coming down on Leonard in addition to the Clippers, then he might dodge that outcome altogether. That would leave the Warriors with only the possibility of a trade if they had interest in Leonard.
There is precedent for Silver to cut the contract short. David Stern, Silver’s predecessor, invalidated a series of contracts former Warriors forward Joe Smith signed with Minnesota as a means of circumventing the salary cap. In 2000, that ruling was upheld in arbitration.
Said Haberstroh: “Maybe it’s a case where Adam Silver levies some sort of punishment, whether it’s forcing Kawhi Leonard’s contract to be invalidated. And I think that would be one of the things that is on the table, because that is what David Stern did with the Joe Smith cap circumvention with the Minnesota Timberwolves decades ago.”