The Los Angeles Clippers pulled out all the stops to lure Kawhi Leonard in 2019. After his championship season in Toronto, the franchise saw Leonard as their ticket to prolonged success, and he played well enough with averages of 25.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game on 50.3% shooting over six seasons.
What the Clippers didn’t expect was for Leonard to leave without anything to show for his time there, marking his tenure as a bona fide failure. What’s worse is that the NBA just brought the hammer down regarding their illegal arrangement with the star, which involved circumventing the salary cap. The Clippers are now on the hook for $30 million and will have to give up five draft picks, not counting the ones they traded to bring in Paul George (who was a requirement for adding Leonard). It brings the total amount they acquired/lured for Leonard up to 10 first-round picks, two pick swaps, and a developing two-time MVP.
In total, their price for Leonard includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, 2021 1st round pick [unprotected MIA pick], 2022 1st round pick [unprotected LAC pick], 2023 1st round pick [top-14 protected MIA pick], 2024 1st round pick [unprotected LAC pick] , 2026 1st round pick [unprotected LAC pick], 2029 1st around pick [forfeit], 2030 1st around pick [forfeit], 2031 1st around pick [forfeit], 2032 1st around pick [forfeit], 2033 1st around pick [forfeit], 2023 1st round pick [right to swap], 2025 1st round pick [right to swap].
Before Kawhi joined, the Clippers didn’t really have a star, and that’s why they were so desperate to add Leonard. At the time, he was considered the best two-way athlete in the game, but he would only join if they added Paul George. Without hesitation, the Clippers conceded to every one of his demands, including the pursuit of PG and secret backdoor endorsement deals.
While the Clippers won a lot of games during the Kawhi/PG era, they never imagined it would cost them so much to keep their stars happy. They gave up everything in the initial pursuit, and now their entire future has been handicapped by the loss of five draft picks for nothing in return. While they intend to fight the league’s standings, it remains to be seen how they can realistically reverse the decision.
In the end, it’s likely the Clippers will have to accept their penalties, which effectively set them back years as a franchise. Without Kawhi and most of their draft capital for the next five years, it’s going to be a rough stretch for Los Angeles, and they’ll have to think about how differently it could have played out.
While there was no going back on the trade for Kawhi, they are fully accountable for their actions that led to his arrival (and continued loyalty). Had they played by the rules like everyone else, the Clippers wouldn’t be in the position they are today. The worst part is, they paid all that to build a roster that never made it past the Conference Finals, adding a whole new layer of sting to their current reality.