With each passing day, it appears increasingly likely that the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard could face some sort of punishment by the NBA. They have been accused of salary cap convention, with Leonard allegedly receiving up to $28 million in additional payments from the Clippers through a sponsorship company called Aspiration.
If the accusations are to be proven true, then the Clippers could be in serious trouble with the league. In fact, Leonard's contract could even be voided.
However, lost in all the controversy surrounding Leonard and the Clippers is the fact that he'll be healthy to start a season for the first time in years. His being healthy to start a season for the first time in a while is obviously a great thing for the Clippers.
Actually, they made several great off-season moves to give him additional help before the scandal broke. However, if the Clippers are hammered by the NBA and his contract is voided, then that will be a cruel twist for Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Clippers could waste a prime Kawhi Leonard season
The Clippers certainly hope that the league will move quickly to resolve their investigation, so they won't be left waiting for the other shoe to drop. Fortunately for them, it seems unlikely that the league would void Leonard's contract during the season, according to NBA insider John Hollinger (subscription required).
That would result in a free agency frenzy for Leonard and possibly cause him to join a contender such as the Los Angeles Lakers. That would only cause more frustration for other teams.
Instead, the NBA might look to settle with the Clippers, which could result in L.A. giving up multiple first-round picks. That would be the best possible outcome for the Clippers, even if it means them forfeiting first-round picks.
After all, the league could find significant wrongdoing and strip the Clippers of all of their first-rounders, meaning they wouldn't have a pick until 2032. As a result, if the NBA gives the Clippers an out, then L.A. should absolutely take it.
The Clippers must quickly put the Kawhi investigation behind them
Putting the investigation behind them as soon as possible while suffering as few consequences as possible should be the name of the game for the Clippers. That's given what is at stake for L.A.
They have a deep 10-man rotation to help a healthy Leonard, and it can be argued that this is the best team he's had in six seasons in L.A. After finishing with the fourth-best record in the West last season with Leonard missing the first 33 games, they could be far better with him ready to hit the ground running.
A healthy Leonard, a deeper team, and a better record and playoff seed, and it's not hard to imagine a potential path to the Western Conference Finals if everything goes right. That will depend on the outcome of the league's investigation.
Ultimately, the Clippers are set up to win now this season with Leonard finally healthy. However, the league's investigation into the Clippers could derail what could be their most promising season yet.