As the accusations move against Clippers, do not expect that punishment includes the cancellation of the Kawhi Leonard contract

It was clear for a year or more than the Los Angeles Clippers knew they were quickly approaching the end of the era of Kawhi Leonard/James Harden.

The Clippers tried to rotate and The relationship of this week of the frustration of the clippers with Leonard It adapts to the existing model. It is not a coincidence that the team is established to have a huge space for hats in 2027-proprio when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns (among many others) could become free agents.

That pivot was clearly coming long before the accusations began to mount against the owner Steve Ballmer and Los Angeles Clippers, including new ones that fell on Thursday from Pablo Torre discovers podcast (More details on the one below) – that the team was trying to get around the salary limit. The Podcast reports argue that the owner of Ballmer and Minority Clipper Dennis Wong has invested in the company of the “Green Bank” aspiration (sponsor of a team of Clippers), who also signed Leonard for an approval agreement of 48 million dollars. Except that there is no evidence that Leonard has actually done anything to earn that money, making it a “no-show” agreement-a way for clipper to get around the limit.

In the wake of all the tests reported in recent weeks, the topic has moved partly to potential punishments, because it seems that some punishment is coming (once the official investigation of the League is finished, which probably comes across the NBA season). The championship can be fine in Clippers and Ballmer, but only up to a maximum of $ 7.5 million: Ballmer has earned more than that in the interest during the time used to read this sentence. The League can suspend Ballmer and/or a Clippers manager for a maximum of one year. The League can take away some of the future sketch choices of the Clippers (the most painful punishment for the franchise).

In addition, the championship can cancel Leonard’s contract and make it a free agent. Don’t expect that, in part because the clippers would be good.

Latest accusations against Clippers

In his defense of Ballmer and Clippers, The owner of the minority of Mavericks Mark Cuban had said That rather than investments and team sponsorships (both happened), the easiest way that the clippers could have helped the aspiration of the “Green Bank” company was the purchase of carbon credits, which is what fraudulent society was selling.

Pablo Torre discovers Documents issued on Thursday By saying that the clippers have done this. Torre has a banking letter signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Team-Così as sources within the aspiration-that the Clippers have traced an agreement of $ 21 million for carbon credits in June 2022, weeks before the first payment of Leonard’s approval agreement. This was while Intuit’s dome was under construction.

The podcast claims that Ballmer and Clippers invested 118 million dollars in aspiration for 18 months, between September 2021 and March 2023. Leonard had an approval agreement of 48 million dollars with the aspiration ($ 20 million of that was in actions now without bankruptcy company), for which there is no proof.

Ballmer and Clippers have released a statement to both podcast and generally on the purchase of these credits, stressing that making the new dome of Intuit a green building was very important for Ballmer and believed that facing the aspiration contributed to achieving this goal. It is the same idea as when he said he and other investors were “deceived” by the company.

Here is the declaration that the Clippers sent to the podcast of Torre:

“Our development agreements for the Arena included the mandates to purchase carbon credits, but after studying the issue of neutrality, we went far beyond these requirements, exploring the ways to deal with emissions from our fans and contract the aspiration to directly purchase carbon compensations, as well as the acquisition of the acquisition of additional offsets. Other other supports to activation.

Leonard’s contract

The latter accusation on carbon credits is added only to the tsunami of circumstantial tests that seemed overwhelming. Commissioner NBA Adam Silver said the burden was in the championship To demonstrate that the clippers have violated the CBA and the League seems to want direct evidence that Ballmer intentionally tried to evade the salary limit, which will not exist (Ballmer would never have signed something so indicating). Silver seems more willing to talk about the changes of the League’s rules on investments and approval than punishments, but at this point it seems that the clipper should get more than a slap slap.

Could that punishment include the cancellation of Leonard’s contract? (Leonard is destined to earn $ 50 million this season and $ 50.3 million next season.) According to the terms of the CBA, yes, it could. Silver has that power.

Don’t expect me to practice it.

As noted in the first paragraph of this story, the Clippers recognize reality and while they have put together a good veteran team on paper for this season-a better than their team of 50 victories of last season-non-non. How great can a threat to the playoffs depends on two unreliable things: Leonard’s health and the performance of the Harden playoffs.

Empty Leonard’s contract and Clippers will have room for Max Cap next summer. They could therefore chase a star through the free agency or a trade, turning by the autumn of 2026. It would be fine with the Clippers.

Second, As John Hollinger observes at AthleticThe formal investigation of the NBA will be likely to end in the middle of the season. At that empty point, Leonard’s contract, and there would be a crazy scramble by playoffs willing to face the risk of adding it in the short term, but none of them would have more than a minimum veteran or something close to offer. As Hollinger observes, Leonard fought to return home to Los Angeles in the first place, so would he consider the idea of ​​signing with the Lakers for the minimum? At this moment, they cannot even offer this amount until mid -January due to the fact that they are hard to the first tax apron.

One thing that Hollinger suggests that it is interesting: silver puts the money from Leonard’s approval contract on the books of the Clippers, making them pay a luxury tax invoice.

This is a long blow, but more likely to the Leonard contract that empties in silver. The most likely scenario is that the clippers are fined, they lose one or two picks of the first round, and perhaps a clippers manager is suspended, but not Ballmer before his new guy’s dome the all-star game in February.

Perhaps the sanctions would be more than this, but at this point it is reduced to the investigations of the League, which is in progress and will be for a while.