The Raptors angle of this is the most wild to me.
Basically, this story is a test of both people’s intelligence, and of the NBA itself. As the Star reported this week, Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robertson asked the Toronto Raptors for the same set of perks in 2019 that Leonard was receiving from the Clippers in 2021: lucrative no-show sponsorships, and ownership stakes in outside companies. Robertson, who had not done his research, presumed the Toronto Maple Leafs were an outside company, and asked for a piece.
So Leonard asked that of the Raptors, looks like he got it from the Clippers and, because the vehicle was a company that was more or less a cardboard box painted green and left in the rain, the whole thing went belly-up and just enough of the arrangement was exposed. This is smoke, and fire.
And all that said, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the subject Wednesday following a board of governors meeting in New York, and he left the door open to closing the door on this. Yes, he said the commissioner’s powers are “very broad: full range of financial penalties, draft picks, suspensions, et cetera. Very broad powers in these situations.” And Silver said, correctly, “I have an obligation to be the steward of the brand and the integrity of the league.”
But Silver also did something very specific: He emphasized that the burden of proof is on the league, and said, “I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety. I think the goal of a full investigation is to find out if there really was impropriety, because also in a public facing sport, again, the public, at times, reaches conclusions that later to turn out to be completely false.”
It felt like a signal that absent actual proof, the Clippers could theoretically escape serious punishment. The 2019 investigation into Leonard and the Clippers couldn’t find proof of wrongdoing, so it’s easy to imagine this was all executed with a handshake deal between an owner and a player, and financial transactions which took place outside of team communications channels with no written statement of intent.
With a little work, Silver should arrive at major penalties here: a Ballmer suspension, the forfeiture of draft picks, any fine he can finagle, perhaps the voiding of Leonard’s current contract, and maybe moving the all-star game. Staples Center, after all, is just across town, and nobody would have to change their hotel room.
But while this may obviously be the worst case of cap circumvention in league history, it’s at least possible that may not be enough. Silver at least seems reluctant to use the full power of his office and the leeway of the CBA based on an IQ test. And you could understand, really. Ballmer is a titan in the league, the richest owner there is, so while he may be short of explanations, he’s not short of that. It’s only the integrity of the league, after all.
https://www.thestar.com/sports/nba/new-bombshell-report-in-kawhi-leonard-scandal-should-move-nba-to-impose-major-penalties/article_4feaecdd-7dbf-4337-a59b-f79b01784f03.html
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