Draymond Inexperienced is glad Kawhi Leonard prevented the majority of the punishment handed all the way down to the Los Angeles Clippers after the NBA’s salary-cap investigation, whereas questioning the league’s restrictions on gamers incomes extra cash via sponsorship alternatives.
Talking on The Draymond Inexperienced Present, the Golden State Warriors ahead mentioned he was happy that the Clippers group absorbed many of the sanctions somewhat than Leonard, who was fined $700,000 however was not suspended.
“I’m joyful the workforce bought the majority of the penalty and never Kawhi. We heard rather a lot that Kawhi could also be suspended and I’m joyful he didn’t get suspended,” Inexperienced mentioned, by way of HoopsHype.
The NBA introduced that the Clippers violated salary-cap circumvention guidelines after an impartial investigation by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz discovered what the league described as a “sample of misconduct and a number of important guidelines violations.”
In keeping with the NBA, the Clippers initiated and facilitated endorsement alternatives between Leonard and 4 corporations that performed enterprise with the workforce: Aspiration Companions, Boingo Wi-fi, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance coverage.
The league mentioned the Clippers induced corporations to enter endorsement agreements with Leonard by providing them workforce enterprise whereas additionally paying private bills for Leonard and his representatives.
The NBA decided that Leonard violated the circumvention guidelines via actions taken on his behalf by his former enterprise supervisor, Dennis Robertson. Robertson obtained a five-year ban from conducting enterprise with NBA groups and associates on behalf of gamers or league personnel.
The Clippers obtained the biggest organizational penalty, forfeiting their first-round picks within the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA Drafts whereas additionally being fined $30 million.
Proprietor Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and workforce actions for one 12 months, whereas president of enterprise operations Gillian Zucker obtained a one-year unpaid suspension. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended with out pay for six months.
Inexperienced targeted on the broader difficulty of participant compensation and questioned why gamers face restrictions when making an attempt to earn extra revenue via relationships with sponsors.
“And like I mentioned, tackle the problems of the wage cap. I believe that’s what comes out of this. Why is there a wage cap? Why are guys being prevented from getting cash from workforce sponsors or league sponsors or whoever else?” Inexperienced mentioned.
The four-time NBA champion argued that the scenario appeared notably troublesome to reconcile with the league’s emphasis on gamers having higher affect over NBA enterprise and economics.
“And we discuss we’re in a league that’s player-centric, that’s player-focused, that’s player-driven, that has the most effective curiosity for the gamers. And right here was a scenario the place a man could make 20 to 30 further million {dollars} and we’re like, oh yeah, you’re in bother,” Inexperienced mentioned.
Leonard’s punishment was restricted to a $700,000 high quality, with the NBA stating that the penalties imposed below its settlement with the NBPA are last and binding.
The 35-year-old ahead averaged 27.9 factors, 6.4 rebounds and three.6 assists in 65 video games throughout the 2025-26 season, capturing 50.5% from the sphere and 38.7% from three-point vary. He earned All-NBA Second Crew honors and completed seventh in MVP voting.
Leonard was traded by the Clippers to the Toronto Raptors throughout the offseason, ending his seven-year NBA profession in Los Angeles.
“I’m joyful Kawhi didn’t get the majority of this punishment. I believe that’s completely stunning,” Inexperienced concluded.
