Insider Reveals Why Kawhi Leonard Got Off Easy On Clippers Punishment
But Kawhi Leonard, who was at the center of it all as the player the Clippers helped earn all that extra money outside of his contract, got off relatively scot-free, with "only" a $700,000 fine (he was allegedly given tens of millions of dollars by third party companies for, essentially, no-show endorsements).
So why did Kawhi get off so easily? Shams Charania explains.
"The Clippers and Raptors have already spoken and they have the intention of moving forward with this trade..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 3, 2026
The expectation is that Kawhi Leonard will be getting an extension in Toronto"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive https://t.co/FMklYcFpeJ pic.twitter.com/gGE5Qjrkqe
"A lot of questions around the league. Why was Kawhi Leonard's penalty only a $700,000 fine? Why did he not get suspended? Why did he not get his contract voided? Well, the NBA did publish that report with Wachtell Lipton... There was no evidence there that showed that he had knowledge or that he firsthand worked on circumventing the salary cap.
"Basically, his uncle, Dennis Robertson, had all the power and all the say-so... Everyone around the NBA knows that he ran Kawhi Leonard's life. So, the players union... is using this as a cautionary tale for what can happen when someone has this much power around you and you're the player... That's why the NBA is taking him on his word because they just don't have the proof that he had knowledge, nor did Wachtell Lipton find that proof."
So it's onwards and upwards—or make that, North-wards—for Kawhi, whose trade to the Toronto Raptors will now be able to be made official. He has already had conversations with the Raptors about adding a two-year extension on to the final year of his contract for the coming season.
The official trade call is expected to happen at any time.