With NBA teams' cap space dried up, Lakers hoping to get gifted Kawhi Leonard

After signing a $28 million endorsement deal with a company clled Aspiration where Los Angleles Clippers' owner Steve Balmer was a lead investor. Kawhi Leonard never ended up endorsing or doing anything for the company. Balmer now calls that company a fraud, but denies the shady endorsment deal was meant to circumvent the NBA's strict salary cap and insists he wasn't involved in the deal.

Leonard's uncle is his agent and reportedly has a history of asking for illegal things.

The NBA takes circumventing their salary cap very seriously and potential penalties could very well include Leonard's contract being voided. In terms of precedent, The Minnesota Timberwolves received severe penalties for their illegal secret deal with Joe Smith in 2000, including a $3.5 million fine, voiding of Smith's contracts, and the loss of five first-round draft picks (two were later returned). NBA Commissioner David Stern also suspended owner Glen Taylor and forced GM Kevin McHale to take a leave of absence.

While Commissioner Silver seems to be softer than Stern, it's hard to see Leonard's contract not being voided if the NBA determines there is enough evidence of the deal not being on the up and up and Leonard or his agent knowing this. With training camps opening shortly if Leonard became a free agent, he would be forced to take a major pay cut since teams have already spent their cap space. He could make a little more if he signed with a team like the Nets that still have some left, but if he has any desire to compete this season he will be looking at minimum deals.

The most likely landing spot in that case becomes the team that seems to always get gifted All-Stars, the Los Angeles Lakers. Leonard wouldn't have to move away from his native L.A. home and he could team up with two stars in Luke Doncic and LeBron James.

Sure other contenders will make their pitches, but with the NBA watching closely to make sure their are no shenanigans in his new deal, the money will more or less be all the same. Even if Silver has the balls to suspend Leonard a lengthy amount of games, unless its for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, the punsihment will be minimal. Leonard would lose out on pay for those games, but it wouldn't be much due to his minimum contract and he'd be fresh for the playoffs.

It's always difficult to predict what will happen when the NBA (or any coprporation for that matter) investigates themselves. I still don't buy the "one rogue official" finding in the Tim Donaghy investigation. Add in the NBA Players Union which will fight tooth and nail to eliminate or reduce whatever penalties Silver gives Leonard and things become even more messy.

Barring some additional news that exonerates Balmer and Leonard completely, expect a forceful response from the NBA. And if the Lakers get gifted another star, that would be just par for the course.


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