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Before the next NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Clippers may be able to get back one or two of the first-round picks they lost following the Kawhi Leonard investigation, according to a new report.
When the Pablo Torre report about Clippers management creating shell companies to pay Kawhi Leonard extra money on top of the contract he agreed to in 2019 emerged last year, the expectation was that the team would eventually be hit with penalties. But the big question since has been how severe it would be. Well, after a year-long investigation, the NBA found undeniable evidence that LA circumvented the salary cap to pay the future Hall of Famer more money.
Also Read: Los Angeles Clippers Were Contenders for Nikola Jokic? NBA Punishment Cost LA More Than Money & Draft Picks
In response to the rule violations, the Clippers will have to forfeit five future first-round picks. The franchise is being fined $30 million. Owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year. Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for 1 year. President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for 6 months, and Leonard was hit with a $700,000 fine.
The penalty is the stiffest ever handed down by the league, and many NBA analysts have suggested the Clippers will be a zombie team. They will be playing games, but for the next five years they are partially dead. Especially because of all the first-round picks they have to fork over.
Darius Garland could get Los Angeles Clippers a couple of first-rounders before the next trade deadline
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Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland (10) is defended by Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) in the first half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
However, for suffering Clippers fans who are the ones being most hurt, they were given a reason for hope on Saturday. According to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, it is very possible that Darius Garland is one of the most sought-after players before next season’s trade deadline. He also suggested Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Trey Murphy could be the other top players available based on how they and their teams perform in the new season.
A case could be made that Garland is the third most valuable player among this quartet. However, if the Wizards are in the playoff hunt because of Davis, he is likely to get a new deal. Irving’s value will fluctuate based on how he looks after tearing his ACL last year, and the New Orleans Pelicans‘ asking price for Murphy could still be very high.
If those situations play out, the two-time All-Star who is only 26 could be the best player available if he has a good season in LA. That is likely, so the Clippers getting a couple of future first-rounders isn’t impossible if a playoff team believes he could be a big addition before a playoff run.