Voiding Kawhi Leonard's Contract On The Table As NBA Gets Set to Punish Clippers

As the NBA continues its season-long investigation into the allegations that the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard circumvented the salary cap, we're hearing that the league is getting close to dropping the hammer.

With the NBA's All-Star Weekend at the Clippers arena all done now, the gloves could come off.

According to Tom Habertroh on Yahoo Sports Daily, he feels that the Clippers' sudden sell-off at the trade deadline of James Harden and Ivica Zubac could be indicative that they know something big and bad is coming.

Among the potential penalties, he says, is the voiding of Leonard's contract.

NBA is weighing potential penalties for the Clippers that could include stripping draft picks, banning Steve Ballmer from the arena, or even invalidating Kawhi Leonard’s contract to make him an unrestricted free agent, per @tomhaberstroh

(🎥@YahooSports)pic.twitter.com/Upv58cN230
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) February 23, 2026

If the NBA drops the hammer on the Clippers, the following penalties are on the table:

Forcing Kawhi's contract to be invalidated
Stripping the Clippers of draft picks
Banning owner Steve Ballmer from the arena

Haberstroh feels that the "most hurtful" punishment for Ballmer would be the last one—banishing him from the arena to watch his beloved team. The NBA's richest owner is a rabid fan, sometimes of childish proportions, while watching his team from his courtside seats.

As for the invalidation of Kawhi's contract, Haberstroh says that would be a "conundrum." He feels that "If Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you're going to see a frenzy for his services, with the likes of the Lakers, with the likes of the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks... They would try to go get Kawhi Leonard at this stage as a free agent. That, I think, would cause even more hysteria and chaos around the league than actually forcing the Clippers' hand."

Forcing Ballmer to sell the team, feels Haberstroh, is NOT on the table.