Kawhi Leonard Fined, Not Suspended, While Clippers Lose Five Picks, Nba Investigation Concludes

The NBA just brought the hammer down on the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Aspiration Scandal, while Kawhi Leonard will walk away with a hefty fine, but no permanent suspension.

In an earthshattering press release, the National Basketball Association has announced that punishment will indeed be meted out for salary cap circumvention, with the figure at the centre of it all, Kawhi Leonard, landing a $700,000 fine to the league, but otherwise, receiving no serious penalty — yet. Kawhi’s manager, the notorious “Uncle” Dennis Robertson, has received a 5 year ban from involvement in the NBA.

Kawhi himself posted on Instagram, saying that he “accept[s] full responsibility for lapses in judgement made by people within [his] inner circle,” and said that he had “no knowledge” of salary cap circumvention. “As I return to Toronto,” Leonard continued, “I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.”

It seems that from an official perspective, Leonard himself has been able to avoid serious punishment for himself due to this connection, specifically to his manager, Robertson, who in the official NBA release, is described as acting “on Mr. Leonard’s behalf.”

Charania, in his own tweet, notes that Leonard is now being represented by Harrison Gaines, former college basketball player.

Steve Balmer, owner of the Clippers, has been suspended for a year, specifically for his dealings with Aspiration. A number of other Clippers executives were also suspended, namely Gillian Zucker, President of Basketball Operations and Lawrence Frank, who bears the same title. The most serious penalty comes to the Clippers organization, who will be forced to forfeit five first-round picks, from 2029-2044, meaning that they will not control their own picks for the next eight years. “I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules,” said Adam Silver, “and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct.”

While this is the most concrete thing to come out of the NBA’s investigation, it seems that this controversy is far from over.

Pablo Torre, the journalist who initially broke news on the scandal, has announced today that the American Securities and Exchange Commission will be investigating another company implicated in impropriety involving Kawhi Leonard, Daktronics, who make the scoreboards for the Clippers.

What does this mean for the Raptors?

With seemingly no suspension incoming for Leonard, it can be expected that the Raptors are much more likely to finalize the trade for the Klaw, officially parting ways with Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. Additional punishment is certainly possible, with today’s ruling from the NBA potentially an attempt to clear the air ahead of the preseason and training camp, rather than the organization officially bringing to an attend all investigations. Potential challenges from the Player’s Association were anticipated, but the NBA has noted that the two groups are in agreement regarding the decision.