Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers have been strongly penalized by the NBA with the full list of punishments including the forfeit of five first-round selections and over $30 million in fines. Leonard himself will have to foot a large portion of the bill, and just like the Clippers issued a statement promising to challenge the penalties, the two-time NBA Finals MVP broke his silence.
“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am. I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” Leonard stated through his agent, as reported by NBA insider Shams Charania.
“I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap. For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.”
Kawhi denies being aware of cap-circumventing antics
As Leonard made clear in his statement after the NBA‘s investigation into his Clippers contract resulted in costly sanctions for both him and his former organization, he was unaware of the team’s intentions to circumvent the salary cap. However, the NBA’s statement says otherwise, finding Leonard—or at least his then-manager, Dennis Robertson—to be a culprit.
Kawhi Leonard has been fined by the NBA.
“Mr. Leonard, through the conduct of Mr. Robertson on his behalf, violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities, and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses,” the NBA’s official statement read.
For his alleged role in the salary-cap circumvention, the NBA handed Kawhi Leonard a $700,000 fine. Still, Leonard didn’t receive as harsh a punishment as the other parties involved in the investigation.
No suspension means Kawhi’s Toronto trade faces no danger
Leonard received no suspension, while Clippers owner Steve Ballmer (one-year suspension), President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker (one-year suspension), and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank (six-month suspension) can’t say the same. As for Leonard’s former agent, Robertson has been banned from the NBA and its affiliates for five years.
All the while, the Clippers are subject to a compliance and monitoring program. Leonard, however, will be able to play from the start of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Thus, as he faces no suspension and must only pay the NBA roughly 1.4% of his salary for the season, his trade to the Toronto Raptors should face no danger. Kawhi himself confirmed it, stating, “As I return to Toronto…” in his open letter after the penalties were announced.
Kawhi Leonard’s contract
With all the noise surrounding Leonard’s cap-circumventing contract, many fans wonder what his actual deal looks like. Kawhi signed a three-year, $149.5 million contract with the Clippers running through the 2026-27 NBA season.
Under this deal, Leonard made an average salary of $49.8 million. During the next campaign, though back in The Six, Kawhi will be paid a guaranteed salary of $50.3 million by the franchise he led to glory back in 2019.
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