Following an NBA investigation, the Clippers lost five first-round picks, while Kawhi Leonard's uncle received a lifetime ban. Leonard himself only received a small fine. Shams Charania explained the league opted against voiding Leonard's contract or suspending him to avoid complex litigation and arbitration with the NBPA.
After more than a year of investigation, a final resolution about Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard saga is brought to light.
Clippers were stripped of 5 first-round picks, front office members and owners were suspended or indefinitely banned, while Leonard just received a relatively small fine.
Why Leonard's contract wasn't voided
His trade to the Toronto Raptors has been completed but the question arises, should Leonard's contract be classified as null and void if the salary cap was circumvented?
Shams Charania of ESPN talked for TSN Sports on the matter and tried to explain the reason why:
"You know, I've definitely seen the conversation like, did the league take it too light? The reality is it's hard for the league because of how the collective bargaining agreement is, and there is a players union," Charania started.
"And so having to negotiate with the players association, 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. And when you look at the report, you know, clearly the league didn't."
Uncle Dennis banned for life
Charania noted that Leonard's uncle Dennis was banned for life from NBA activities, but that it'd be much more complicated to have a bigger sanction imposed on Kawhi:
"The one person that was banned was Dennis Robertson, Kawhi Leonard's uncle, who was fired by Kawhi in June. And 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, and that's obviously not a fight the league moved forward with," Charania concluded.
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