One technicality could save Kawhi Leonard if NBA finds Clippers star guilty of salary cap circumvention
· Yahoo Sports
Kawhi Leonard’s luck may help him after the conclusion of the NBA’s ongoing investigation of LA Clippers circumventing the salary cap.
Investigative journalist Pablo Torre’s bombshell reports about Kawhi Leonard and Steve Ballmer’s LA Clippers circumventing the salary cap has been a major topic of discussion heading into the season.
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After all, if Leonard is found guilty, his trade to the Toronto Raptors could be voided. But that’s only the case if the league’s investigation reaches a conclusion before 2027.
Right now, the investigation is in its arbitration stage, and this is something that works in favor of the 2x NBA champion.
Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesKawhi Leonard won’t be suspended even if found guilty by the NBA
Assuming the NBA finds Leonard guilty in the Aspiration and Daktronics’ alleged scandal, the punishment for cap circumvention isn’t as harsh as one might think.
In fact, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Granger, a suspension is entirely off the table for the Klaw.
“The punishments for cap circumvention, it has been pointed out to me, are jointly negotiated by the NBA and the NBPA and written into the league’s collective bargaining agreement,” Grange wrote.
He added, “Nowhere in that language does it say a player can be suspended for participating in cap circumvention.
“Instead, per the CBA, penalties for salary cap circumvention can include team fines, direct forfeiture of draft picks, the voiding of any player contract and a suspension of up to a year for any team personnel found to have engaged in such a violation.
“While the player can be required to ‘disgorge’ whatever benefits they gained from a third party in a cap circumvention scheme. A player suspension is not on the menu,” Grange further stated.
In short, Leonard won’t be suspended even if he’s found guilty. The other route is for the investigation to get stuck in arbitration, as in, it drags on until 2027.
In that case, Leonard can play for the Raptors as the trade cannot be voided until the salary cap circumvention investigation reaches its conclusion.
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