The reason why Kawhi Leonard's contract was not voided or suspended has been revealed image
The Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard were embroiled in a year-long saga after it was revealed that there was some cap circumvention going on behind the scenes. Leonard was handed a punishment of paying $700,000, but that was a modest penalty compared to the Clippers themselves.
Considering Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors before the punishments were handed out, it is even worse for the Clippers because it feels like Leonard got away relatively scot-free when compared to his now-former team.
Shams Charania reveals the reason why Kawhi Leonard had no major penalties
Since Leonard was only handed a fine, which is not too hefty for him, a lot of people were wondering why that happened. It seems that Leonard was part of the situation, but the parties that were handed the harshest penalties were the Clippers and the people in charge.
Losing five draft picks is a major blow for the Clippers because they already had no control over those in previous years. Now, they will have to work with what they have, as they need to navigate the market to create a much better roster to compete.
MORE:Kawhi Leonard has a contract decision to make after getting traded to the Raptors
Of course, the Clippers still have the Los Angeles market to help them convince players to join them. They may not have draft picks as a result of this controversy, but they could bounce back. However, it is still a harsh punishment, and it is a stark contrast to what Leonard got.
"The reality is it's hard for the league because of how the collective bargaining agreement is, and there is a players' union. So, having to negotiate with the PA, 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," Shams Charania revealed in a phone interview with TSN.
"When you look at the report, you know, clearly the league didn't. The one person that was banned was Dennis Robertson... So the league, if you are going to go toward voiding a player's contract, you have to have a stone-cold case, otherwise you're dealing with a ton of real litigation and real arbitration through the NBPA."
Leonard is now off to Toronto, a city where he won his second NBA championship. He will be playing for a team with a good chance of making it far in the Playoffs, while the Clippers have to adjust to their new situation after the punishments were handed out.
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