Clippers' laziness led to 2015 hand slap. Their recklessness brought NBA's ire | Opinion
Let me get this right: The Los Angeles Clippers got busted by the NBA for offering improper benefits to a player it was trying to sign, apologized and promised not to do it again, and then … did?
These folks aren’t just shady, they’re reckless. Or lazy. Or stupid. Or some combination of the three. That alone makes them deserving of all those harsh penalties the NBA dropped on them for setting up side hustles between Kawhi Leonard and four companies.
"The Clippers were especially aware of the CBA's circumvention rules in this area because the NBA had previously found that the team violated them," Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz, the law firm that investigated the Clippers for the NBA, said in its report, released Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Clippers had similar deal for DeAndre Jordan
For those who have forgotten, that was in 2015. The NBA found the Clippers arranged an endorsement deal with a sponsor for DeAndre Jordan during his free agency recruitment, and the Clippers were fined $250,000.
And it gets better! At the time, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said "any circumvention was inadvertent."
"In our effort to support our players in every way possible," Ballmer said in 2015, "we as an organization must be diligent in complying with the CBA."
Five forfeited first-round draft picks and more than $30 million in fines later, here we are again. The Clippers running the same scam and shocked to wind up with the same outcome.
"I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations."
For some, cheating part of the game
It would be nice if sports teams, along with Fortune 500 companies and politicians, operated above board, any wrongdoings stemming from ignorance rather than intent. That, however, is woefully naïve.
From the second humans began competing against one another, they started looking for an edge. What began with efficiencies in mechanics and training and progressed to equipment hacks eventually – inevitably? – led to outright cheating. What’s the old saying? “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”
But the Clippers, like so many others, were done in by their hubris. They thought they were being clever when they were the opposite. Their cover story was flimsier than cooked pasta, faking "introduction" emails to make it look as if they were responding to a request when they were really initiating it. They left paper trails, with details of the schemes included in emails and texts.
And now they’re trying to claim they’re the wronged party?
"We vehemently reject the NBA's findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence," the Clippers said in response to the NBA's punishment. "What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy.
"For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence," the statement added. "We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process."
Good luck with that.
Clippers not first to play themselves
The Clippers are hardly the first people to be bad at crime. Remember Deflategate? One of the folks involved in that had nicknamed himself "The Deflator." The ringleader of Michigan’s sign-stealing caper, Connor Stalions, used his own name to buy tickets to opponents' games. New York Jets wide receiver Jeremy Kerley blamed his four-game suspension for PEDs on "ghosts."
Mob bosses, these folks are not.
Ballmer and two of his executives are in imposed timeouts lasting between six months and a year. If they don't use that time off to realize the error of their ways, at least come up with a better scheme.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clippers' laziness led to 2015 hand slap. Their recklessness brought NBA's ire | Opinion
6 reactions to the Kawhi Leonard news: Raptors HQ staff reacts
Kristian
The saga is finally over. My immediate reaction, like many jaded Raptors fans, was one fuelled by the feeling I had when watching Steve Ballmer laugh it up during the press conference announcing he had poached Kawhi Leonard from Toronto.
I felt vindicated, like justice had been served. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that Leonard would choose to come back to the Raptors. I’ve never faulted him for leaving. In another world, I’m a professional athlete, and I too am going home to play in front of friends and family.
All that matters now is that he gives us whatever is left in the tank. To have Leonard on the court in a Raptors uniform will have an immeasurable impact on Scottie Barnes. Leonard showed players like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby how to win. After witnessing Barnes ascend to a new level in the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the next best thing for the phenom’s development is to play with a true superstar in Leonard.
Julian
I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet.
When I first heard the news that Kawhi Leonard was supposedly making his way home, I was concerned that the Aspiration Scandal would stick to him like white on rice, and for better or worse, that has indeed been the case. At the end of the press release came the phrase, “the league will consider further action as appropriate,” and all that says to me is that while Leonard has emerged from the fire relatively unscathed (for a millionaire, what’s $700,000?) this dumpster fire is not quite put out yet.
I’m of the opinion that from both a cultural and basketball standpoint, bringing Leonard aboard now is the right thing to do. One can only dither on the issue for so long. Kawhi seems to want to join the Raptors. The Raptors fans seem to want Kawhi. But, behind the scenes, information is abounding that the not public (and in some cases, nor the media) seems to have access to. Pablo Torre continues to break news about the situation, and until this case is officially deemed closed, I won’t be breathing easy.
Josiah
I was at university the one (glorious) season Kawhi played with the Raptors. More precisely, I was in my dorm room watching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the 76ers, during finals week no less, with a paper due at 11:59 p.m. that evening. Kawhi hit the shot. I turned in the paper by email at exactly 11:59… but uploaded it to the course page at midnight, dropping the grade by ⅓ of a letter. Had the shot bounced on the rim fewer than four times, I’d have gotten the full A!
The NBA’s punishment certainly seems to fit the crime, with a cost to the Clippers that matches the precedent of the Joe Smith incident, with a lighter punishment for the player (and thus for Toronto). Los Angeles will appeal, certainly, but there’s no reclaiming championships not won (or close to won) in Kawhi’s tenure. The Raps, now, will get Kawhi back, and everyone will try to avoid thinking about what might have been in Toronto during the years Kawhi forsook the Raptors for the Clippers. This saga should finally end… with the NBA getting my paper grade revised upward.
Noah
I think yesterday’s ruling makes the Kawhi to Toronto situation really interesting. Personally, I’m relieved Kawhi wasn’t suspended or had his contract voided, because that would have completely changed how I viewed the trade. The Clippers being stripped of five first-round picks, a $30 million fine and a one-year suspension for Steve Ballmer shows how seriously the NBA viewed the situation.
Kawhi was fined $700,000 and said he had no knowledge of any salary-cap circumvention, while taking responsibility for lapses within his inner circle. I’m inclined to believe he wasn’t directly involved, but I understand why there are still questions surrounding his role.
With that said, I’m excited about the trade. There’s obviously risk given his age and injury history, but if he’s healthy, I think this is the type of swing Toronto needed. The Raptors have been rebuilding long enough, and bringing back a championship-winning Kawhi gives them a legitimate chance to compete.
Jean Patrick
The wait is finally over; Kawhi is officially a Raptor once again! Considering the buzz that was swirling around regarding the possible rulings, in my view, Kawhi emerges as the clear winner, with the Raptors management being a close second. Never mind the $700,000 fine; for a player who’s been the subject of polarizing views his entire career, Kawhi gets a chance to redeem the public perception of him and his basketball legacy. And what better way could he ask for than to reunite with the team he won with in 2019, which saw him elevate his status as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and, arguably, the best active player at that point in time?
The management, on the other hand, dodged a bullet by not rushing themselves into completing the deal, knowing that had the trade been done then, they would be dealing with the Clippers’ mess right now. Like Leonard, GM Bobby Webster needed this break, as some fans think that his regime as head of basketball operations, so far, has been unremarkable. Masai Ujiri was far from perfect and was said to have failed to build a winning squad with Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Scottie Barnes that could have opened another contention window. Unlike Masai, however, Bobby has yet to win a championship, which, in the eyes of analysts, makes Ujiri the more accomplished executive. For now, Webster’s discernment clearly paid off, as Toronto did not incur any repercussions.
Rebecca
I feel like Kawhi really got away with a slap on the wrist. As someone whose career earnings will surpass 400 million once he completes his current contract, the fine isn’t really much of a punishment. It’s less than 1% of his career earnings. Add that to his lack of suspension (thank goodness for the Raptors’ sake) and he’ll probably forget about the whole ordeal by the time the season starts.
The Clippers were not so lucky. I think their track record came into play here and with how competitive teams can be now with trying to lure talent, they wanted to make an example out of them to prevent things like this from happening in the future. The loss of the draft picks is going to be the thing that affects them the most. I really don’t see a path forward here for them to rebuild at any point in the future, so unless they can outright sign free agents, really the judgement they’ve received is to be a bottom dwelling team for the next decade…
Nate Oats' wife rejoins Alabama men's basketball team
Alabama men's basketball announced the addition of two staff members, and one of them is coach Nate Oats' wife.
The Crimson Tide announced on Thursday, Sept. 3 Alex Accetta is rejoining the team as its director of program relations.
Accetta returns after she worked with the men's basketball program from 2015 to 2022, starting as a student assistant before becoming the program's operations coordinator in 2017 and director of operations in 2021. Oats' tenure in Tuscaloosa began in 2021.
She then left to work with Dallas Mavericks on its guest experience and business operations from 2022 through 2026.
Oats and Accetta's were married on July 26, 2026.
Alabama noted Accetta will be reporting to executive deputy AD, chief operating officer and men's basketball sport administrator Shane Lyons, not Oats.
"Alex has an extensive background and proven success in this space at both the collegiate and professional levels," Lyon said in a statement. "With her previous experience, she has a strong understanding of our program and what it takes to effectively operate at the highest competitive levels. She returns to Alabama basketball after four seasons with the NBA Dallas Mavericks, and we expect her professional franchise experience and insights to continue to advance all we do."
In addition to Accetta returning to the program, Alabama announced Josh Pierre has been promoted from director of operations to director of player development.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nate Oats' wife rejoins Alabama men's basketball team
Knicks Mailbag: How can NY address lack of frontcourt depth?
It's another edition of Knicks Mailbag, with SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley ready to answer your questions surrounding the team. Let's get started...
Does the Knicks front office not see any concern with the lack of frontcourt depth off the bench? Bench seems guard-heavy, little to no wings or bigs - @Jblackwing
Hey JBlackwing, great question. Before I answer, I just want to say that I can’t claim to know what the entire Knicks front office is thinking or not thinking. It’s a big group that presumably holds varied opinions on the roster. But I do know that at least some Knicks decision-makers have their eye on at least one frontcourt player at the moment.
Per SNY sources, guard-forward John Konchar and forward-center Drew Eubanks are among the players on New York’s radar as we draw closer to training camp. Konchar, recently waived and stretched after a trade to Minnesota, is known as a strong rebounder/defender/offensive connector who can knock down perimeter shots over his seven-year NBA career. Eubanks’ 2025-26 season in Sacramento was cut short in March following surgery to repair a UCL tear in his left thumb. The 6-foot-10 veteran would presumably be competing with a couple of other big men for the Knicks’ third center spot.
New York, the defending NBA champion, has enough money under the second apron to add another veteran minimum contract. The club currently does not have enough salary space to add two players on veteran minimum deals. Per owner James Dolan, the team will not be exceeding the second apron in team salary ($221 million) this season.
Teams over the second apron have fewer tools to build out their roster, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains.
Yes. First time caller, long time listener, Ian. What’s the latest on Brunson following his surgery? Are the Knicks planning on taking it slow with him to start the preseason? - @NYKSection310
Thanks for calling, Section 310. I don’t have an update on Jalen Brunson’s recovery at the moment. One of the things you’ve learned about Brunson over the years: he is extremely dedicated to his rehab after an injury.The initial timetable for Brunson to resume basketball activities was six to eight weeks. That would put him back on the court later this week. The second part of your question is an interesting one. I do think the Knicks will play Brunson lighter minutes in the preseason. I believe all of the players who logged heavy minutes in the Knicks’ title run will play lighter minutes in the preseason. Could be a good opportunity for some younger Knicks (Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, etc.) to get extended minutes.
What’s your read on McBride's future with the Knicks? Is he a likely trade piece for a big? Love him but feels hard to see him extended - @SBart_89
You have a tremendous background pic, SBart. As a grown man, I don’t want to count other people’s pockets. But not much has changed on my read for the Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart extensions since last month. If I had to make a wager, I’d bet that both deals get done before the season.
When do Knicks single-game tickets go on sale? Trying to buy opening night tickets. Coming from California. Would love the insight. Love your coverage! - @CoachD0721
Appreciate the kind words, Coach. Unfortunately, I don’t have any information on that. I hope you get to the game.Boston Celtics Daily Links 9/3/26
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Pablo Torre drops lawsuit claim for Steve Ballmer, Clippers in retaliation to NBA
The Los Angeles Clippers have entered its lowest point in franchise history.
The NBA’s year-long investigation resulted in confirmation that the team violated the league’s salary cap circumvention rules, which resulted in the loss of five first-round picks and being fined $30 million.
Pablo Torre, the podcaster and journalist who began investigating the scandal in 2025, believes Clippers owner Steve Ballmer won’t walk away quietly.
“What can Steve Ballmer do? He can literally sue the NBA,” Torre said.
“When the NBA tried to settle with Steve Ballmer, and they said, ‘Hey we have a narrow scope, we have undeniable evidence, we want to just make sure that you have the opportunity to take your punishment, admit wrongdoing, and let us all move on.’ Steve Ballmer — according to everything that we’ve seen now play out in public after that ESPN story two weeks ago — decided to fight,” Torre said on the Dan Patrick Show.
“And the NBA said, well in that case, we’re going to do something that perhaps caught Steve Ballmer by surprise. They found a way to settle with Kawhi Leonard and the Players’ Union…They got Kawhi to settle.”
In the NBA, arbitration can only be activated by the Players’ Union, according to Torre. Because of the league’s settlement with Leonard, arbitration isn’t an option for Ballmer.
Ballmer, who was suspended for one year from all league and team activities, is reportedly angry over the results of the investigation, which falls in line with the team’s statement rejecting the NBA’s findings.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence. What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure it’s fairness and accuracy,” the statement read.
“For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence. We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”
Steve Ballmer Could Sue the NBA, but It Would Be Tough to Win
The Los Angeles Clippers vehemently refute the NBA’s findings in the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap circumvention investigation, but converting that opposition into legal action will be challenging. That’s mainly because of the finality of league decisions and judicial deference to decisions of private associations.
The NBA on Wednesday concluded that the Clippers and several team officials, including owner Steve Ballmer, conspired to violate the salary cap by arranging for Leonard to receive extra compensation through endorsement deals for which the player did not have to perform services. Article XIII of the CBA prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside their employment contracts. Those arrangements undermine fair play and furnish teams with an unfair advantage over competitors.
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The findings were based on a report issued by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, which conducted 73 interviews with 60 people and reviewed more than 200,000 pages of documents obtained from individuals and organizations. Among other penalties, the NBA stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, suspended Ballmer for a year and fined Leonard $700,000.
Of legal importance, the NBPA agreed with the league’s punishments, and Leonard signaled that he accepted responsibility for not carefully monitoring those around him. That eliminates the prospect of a grievance proceeding involving a neutral arbitrator, and it’s an important distinction from the last time an NBA commissioner stripped a team of five first-round picks.
More than 25 years ago, the NBA imposed that punishment on the Minnesota Timberwolves for a cap-circumvention scheme in which they paid forward Joe Smith less on initial one-year contracts so they could sign other players, in exchange for promising to later sign Smith to a long-term, lucrative deal after acquiring his “Larry Bird rights,” which allowed the team to exceed the cap to retain a player.
The NBA also voided Smith’s 1999–2000 contract with the Timberwolves and his previous Timberwolves contract from 1998–99. Smith and the NBPA then used arbitration provisions in the collective bargaining agreement to challenge Stern. After reviewing the facts, an arbitrator upheld Stern’s decision to void the contracts. With Leonard, the NBA imposed a penalty that was apparently acceptable to Leonard and the NBPA, and thus there won’t be an arbitration challenge that extends the controversy.
The Clippers deny wrongdoing and “vigorously challenge the findings.”
David Kelly, an attorney for Ballmer, wrote a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday in which Kelly argued that the NBA’s adverse findings and severe punishments don’t match what league officials had indicated to Ballmer and the Clippers. Kelly went so far as to call the NBA’s investigation a “witch hunt” that failed to adhere to basic legal notions of fairness, such as notice and the opportunity to respond, warning that the Clippers “are exploring every legal remedy to address this gross injustice.”
“League counsel,” Kelly wrote, “has acknowledged in our discussions that the league does not believe there was an agreement between the Clippers and Aspiration to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard.”
Kelly also maintained that NBA attorneys acknowledge Ballmer “was a victim” of fraud inflicted by Joe Sanberg, the former co-CEO of Aspiration, who was recently sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud.
Ballmer’s attorney also insists that, while Silver has talked about ensuring a “fundamental sense of fairness” in the investigation, the Clippers were given less than an hour’s warning “and no opportunity to respond” before the NBA released its findings on Wednesday.
Further, Kelly charges that the NBA changed its “theory” of wrongdoing “at the 11th hour” to find it problematic that the Clippers introduced Leonard to team vendors and sponsors. The Clippers maintain that those introductions “are both proper and commonplace in the league,” that no rule prohibits them and that the league has known about the introductions for years without acting.
As Kelly sees it, the NBA has failed to adhere to basic notions of “due process,” which require procedural fairness and notice that a particular action is considered wrong and can trigger a punishment, and is “retroactively punishing the Clippers for violating a rule that never existed.”
Forecasting a lawsuit
Kelly’s letter suggests that the Clippers are contemplating a lawsuit. The Clippers could draw from the legal playbook of former owner Donald Sterling, on whom Silver imposed a lifetime ban and who, through a legal battle with his wife, Shelly Sterling, lost control of the trust that owned the team. The Clippers could sue the league for violating antitrust law, contract law and fiduciary duties, and accuse the league of misrepresentation and interference. The team could seek an injunction to block the NBA from imposing its penalties on the Clippers, Ballmer and team officials.
The basic argument would be that the NBA and its teams have conspired in anticompetitive ways to degrade the Clippers, with accompanying harm suffered by consumers—the Clippers’ fans. The Clippers will be “less competitive” without five first-round picks. The franchise could argue that team introductions are common and that the Clippers are being punished for conduct in which rival teams engage.
Another potential Clippers legal claim could concern what they depict as the NBA’s “witch hunt.” The team can’t credibly raise a due-process claim tied to the U.S. Constitution or California Constitution, because the NBA is a private body and thus isn’t a state actor, meaning a government entity that must adhere to due-process protections.
But the Clippers could still tie due process to a contractual theory—namely, that while the NBA commissioner has extensive discretion under the league constitution and bylaws, the commissioner still must act fairly, including by providing fair notice and opportunities to respond.
Other possible claims might include breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the duty of loyalty, fraud, misrepresentation and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage. The gist of these claims would be that the NBA and Silver are obligated to act fairly and reasonably, and that their alleged failure to do so has harmed the Clippers’ business interests, relationships with players and sponsorship dealings.
To the extent that the Clippers have other specific examples of team introductions that resemble the Leonard introductions, their argument becomes stronger. As Sportico has detailed, there are examples of players in the NBA and other leagues signing endorsements with companies that also sponsor those players’ teams.
Some examples include online shopping platform Rakuten having a sponsorship with the Golden State Warriors and an endorsement deal with Warriors star Steph Curry; Samuel Adams partnering with both the Boston Red Sox and then-third baseman Alex Bregman on the release of Bregman’s Beer; and Nike signing Neymar to an endorsement deal while also sponsoring Brazil’s national soccer team.
The Clippers can also attack the reliability of the findings. Wachtell acknowledges that its investigators interviewed Joe Sanberg, co-founder of former Clippers sponsor Aspiration and who, in June, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud. Sanberg orchestrated a scheme to defraud lenders and investors, including Ballmer, of more than $248 million between 2020 and 2025. It’s fair to question Sanberg’s veracity and the accuracy of any materials he shared with the NBA.
In April, Kelly objected to Wachtell attorney David Anders, a former federal prosecutor who leads the NBA’s investigation, writing a letter to the judge who was set to sentence Sanberg. Anders said that he and other investigators sought Sanberg’s cooperation to further the investigation. Anders reflected that Sanberg provided “additional information that was relevant to our investigation” and helped the investigators “develop a more complete understanding of key events.” Kelly suggested that Sanberg agreed to provide the NBA with information “in return for a sentencing letter that the league submitted on his behalf.”
Game-planning NBA legal defenses
The NBA would be armed with several defenses to block a Clippers lawsuit and secure its dismissal long before there would be any pretrial discovery requiring each side to provide testimony and share evidence.
First, the NBA would cite case law standing for the legal principle that a court should abstain, which refers to judges declining to hear a case when there is another proceeding. Here, the NBA would argue that no court should interfere with the internal disputes of a private membership association. Indeed, courts usually provide broad deference to private associations and intervene only when they act arbitrarily or capriciously.
The NBA would assert that the Clippers were given ample opportunities to make their case, including the chance to offer specific examples of other teams engaging in similar conduct, and apparently failed to do so. The NBA would also argue that it followed applicable procedures in the league constitution and thus satisfied its contractual process obligations.
Second, the NBA would stress the league constitution, which is a contract among the league, teams and owners and specifies their respective duties and rights. The constitution is not the collective bargaining agreement, which governs the relationship among players, teams and the league. It is a separate source of contractual rights and obligations. By owning an NBA team, owners agree to the constitution, which expressly states that all decisions of the commissioner are “final and binding” and should understood as arbitration awards.
Third, the NBA would insist that there is no viable antitrust claim, as there is no injury to competition. The league could maintain that enforcement of its rules furthers, rather than hinders, competition, because it communicates to fans—consumers—that the games reflect fair play and genuine competition, and that teams attempting to circumvent fair-play rules are held accountable.
Fourth, the league would maintain that there is no conspiracy against the Clippers. The Wachtell report doesn’t merely argue there were introductions to otherwise organic endorsement opportunities; it says the introductions were ruses to facilitate payments directed by the Clippers.
For instance, it says that in June 2020, team president of business operations Gillian Zucker wrote what were called “introduction” emails between the team and potential companies that might sign Leonard to endorsements but, Wachtell argues, were in reality “in an apparent effort to create the appearance of complying with the circumvention rules.”
To that point, Wachtell says Zucker claimed she was emailing in response to requests by those companies to get in touch with Leonard. Wachtell concluded that there was no evidence the companies actually requested introductions and found it suspicious that each of these emails was sent within six days of the others, “in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and while the NBA season was suspended.”
Other defenses might include the argument that there is no relevant fiduciary duty owed by the NBA or Silver to the Clippers or Ballmer, and that claims like intentional interference require an underlying wrongful act, which the NBA would maintain never happened.
How the Clippers can reduce penalties—and stigma
Ballmer has billions of dollars to spend on attorneys, should he try the litigation route, but as detailed above, he’d probably lose.
Consider what that means. Not only would a court rule against him, but the scandal would play out in court over months or years, casting a cloud over the franchise and possibly making Ballmer persona non grata with the NBA and fellow owners.
Ballmer might instead consider the approach used by the New England Patriots and owner Robert Kraft in the aftermath of a damning report by a law firm, the Wells Report, accusing the team of cheating through a purported conspiracy to slightly underinflate footballs—Deflategate.
Many urged the Patriots to sue, and there was significant scientific evidence that the NFL’s assertions were uncorroborated, if not outright implausible.
But Kraft didn’t sue, knowing that the case would have gone nowhere. As in the NBA, punishments by the commissioner are final and conclusive. Instead, he and the Patriots relied on lawyers, scientists and commentators to refute the claims. The team released The Wells Report in Context, a document that didn’t help in court but likely did shift public opinion and left serious questions about whether the NFL was right.
The Clippers could offer a similar document that tries to poke holes in the NBA’s assertions. The team might argue that some of the materials are not reliable, because they are not based on sworn testimony, and thus individuals making assertions wouldn’t risk perjury charges if they knowingly lied.
The Clippers might also maintain that executives of other companies involved, including sponsors that do business with other NBA teams and the league in addition to the Clippers, might have deflected blame onto the Clippers to protect their own business interests. Further, the Clippers might contend that additional texts, emails and comments provide important context not reflected in Wachtell’s report.
None of those arguments might help in court, but they could help the Clippers and Ballmer defend their reputations and legacies.
Ballmer could also attempt to negotiate a reduced draft-pick penalty, perhaps by agreeing to a longer separation from the team. The NBA reduced the Timberwolves’ draft penalty, first from five picks to four and then from four to three, after team executive Kevin McHale and owner Glen Taylor agreed to serve suspensions. Obviously, any Ballmer suit against the NBA and Silver probably wouldn’t help the team’s effort to reduce the punishment.
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Rockets extend Amen Thompson through 2032
The NBA dog days of summer are slowly coming to an end as training camp kicks off in less than a month and preseason games are a little over a month away. The Houston Rockets will most likely start training camp on September 29th, though it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Normally, there isn’t much NBA news this time of year, with MLB inching closer to the playoffs and the NFL and NCAA beginning their new season. However, the NBA has dominated the conversation the last couple of days, first starting with the NBA coming down hard on the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the salary cap in the Kawhi Leonard deal.
Houston Rockets Extend Amen Thompson, Signing the Young Star Through 2032
Thursday, another story dropped, first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, and it is much happier news if you are a Houston Rockets fan, and specifically if you are Amen Thompson. The Rockets have reportedly signed Amen Thompson to a five-year, $208 million rookie-scale contract extension.
The deal includes no player or team option, so Thompson will be with the Rockets through the 2032 season. Several reports say Thompson’s deal will be ascending, meaning it will start at around $35 million a year and finish at around $42 million a year in the final year of the deal.
Both sides seem to have come out well with this deal. Thompson is now the second-highest-paid player on the team, only behind Kevin Durant, at the same time the Rockets were able to sign Thompson for well under a max contract, which made it a no-brainer for the franchise.
Since being drafted by the Rockets fourth overall in the 2023 draft, Thompson has become one of the league’s top defenders, making an All-NBA Defensive Team in 2025. Thompson is coming off his best scoring and assist season of his career, in which he averaged a career-high 18.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. Thompson has become irreplaceable for the Rockets, taking over last season as their defensive leader and taking on a bigger offensive role with Fred VanVleet missing the entire season.
Now going into season four, Thompson is looking to go from an up-and-coming young star to a legitimate two-way star player. Of course, there is room for improvement when it comes to his jump shot and becoming a better overall scorer, but Thompson has already shown that he has star potential written all over him.
Ranking the top 25 NBA free agents set to hit the 2027 market
As the NBA calendar churns, and as teams look ahead to next season, some of the more interesting storylines extend beyond that.
But, as always in the NBA, player movement and free agency are big draws, so it’s never too early to look ahead to the free agent class of players who may be available during the 2027 offseason. The interesting thing with NBA contracts is that there are multiple levers that could lead to a player being available on the open market.
The simplest are expiring contracts that make players unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, allowing them to sign wherever they choose.
Then there are players who will enter player options or team options. A player option gives the player the right to exercise a one-year term under a salary set during negotiations of the player’s current contract. The team option allows the team to exercise the right to retain the player.
There are also restricted free agents, but it has increasingly become a rarity for opposing teams to snatch away key contributors, since the player’s current team has the option to match an offer sheet. In this case, the player’s current team has all the leverage.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 free agents for the 2027 offseason, broken down by their contractual status:
Top 2027 NBA unrestricted free agents
9. Luguentz Dort (Atlanta Hawks)
Guard; 278.3 ppg, 1.2 apg, 3.6 rpg in 69 games
He saw a pretty sizable drop in shooting efficiency across the board, and that hurts his case for a long-term deal. He’s a defensive stopper, but a bounce back on offense with the Hawks will be required for a big payday.
8. Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets)
Guard; 3214.1 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.7 rpg in 60 games (2024-25)
The Rockets suffered last season when VanVleet missed the entire season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and he should stabilize the point guard position this year.
7. CJ McCollum (Atlanta Hawks)
Guard; 3418.7 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.3 rpg in 76 games
His introduction into the Hawks — first as a reserve and then as a closer in the playoffs — shows McCollum is still adaptable and has the ability to assimilate into a system. His defense is an issue, as is his age, but he’s a solid veteran presence who can lift an offense.
6. Jimmy Butler (Golden State Warriors)
Forward; 3620.0 ppg, 4.9 apg, 5.6 rpg in 38 games
He will be coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament and turns 37 Sept. 14, but Butler can still be a playmaker when healthy. Butler also coasts at times during the regular season before turning it on in the playoffs; while that may frustrate fans, at his age, it’s just a prudent approach. Either way, it’s reasonable to expect some type of slowdown, given that he’ll be 38 at the start of the 2027-28 season.
5. Tyler Herro (Milwaukee Bucks)
Guard; 2620.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.8 rpg in 33 games
He’s a three-level scorer who has focused extensively on his efficiency metrics, and he’s a player who has deftly handled being involved in trade talks throughout his career. Yet, it’s unclear if the Bucks view Herro as a long-term piece, and this season will be telling. Either way, his significant limitations on defense can make him something of a liability when opposing teams target him.
4. RJ Barrett (Toronto Raptors)
Guard; 2619.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 5.3 rpg in 57 games
He had his best season (and postseason), so he’s poised to cash in on a solid deal if his production stays the same. And, despite having seven NBA seasons under his belt, he only just turned 26 in June.
3. Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn Nets)
Forward; 2824.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, 7.1 rpg in 52 games
His usage rate jumped up more than 10 percentage points to a career high 30.5% in his first season with the Nets, but he registered only a moderate drop in efficiency metrics. He’s a plus rebounder and thrives on the perimeter, but he’ll need help to lead a team to competitive play.
2. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Guard; 3826.6 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.6 rpg in 43 games
Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this upcoming season, it’s tough to envision Curry anywhere but Golden State. Despite his age, he remains a lethal shooter and one of the tougher players to guard because of his off-ball movement and quick release.
1. Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors)
Forward; 3527.9 ppg, 3.6 apg, 6.4 rpg in 65 games
When he’s available and healthy, Leonard is among the best two-way players in the NBA. The specter of the NBA investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention is no longer hanging over Leonard’s head, so his trade to the Raptors should be resolved soon.
Notable mention: Zach LaVine (Kings), Cameron Johnson (Nuggets), Miles Bridges (Suns), Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Miles McBride (Knicks), Donte DiVincenzo (Timberwolves), Max Strus (Clippers)
Top 2027 NBA free agents: player options
12. Paul George (Boston Celtics)
Guard/forward; 36; $56.6 million player option for 2027-2817.3 ppg, 3.6 apg, 5.3 rpg in 37 games
Availability and a dropoff in production are the big concerns, though perhaps George could revive his career in Boston, where he should have the green light to shoot from the perimeter. But he’ll have a choice to make — to either secure that lucrative one-year salary for 2027-28, or to opt out instead for a multi-year agreement.
11. Brandon Ingram (Los Angeles Clippers)
Forward; 28; $41.9 million player option for 2027-2821.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, 5.6 rpg in 77 games
This is another interesting case because he’s still in his prime, though the Clippers may not view him as a long-term fixture (assuming the trade for Kawhi Leonard does go through).
10. Dejounte Murray (New Orleans Pelicans)
Guard; 29; $30.8 million player option for 2027-2816.7 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.4 rpg in 14 games
He looked solid in his small-sample return late in the season from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and he is an excellent two-way guard option with some size. A big year could prompt him to decline his option for a more lucrative, long-term deal.
9. Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Guard; 36; $14.1 million player option for 2027-2824.9 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.7 rpg in 58 games (2024-25)
It’s no sure thing to come off an Achilles tendon rupture, especially as a player of his age. But Lillard is still one of this generation’s all-time shooters, and his style of play should allow for sustained production. Yet, given his desire to return to Portland, it feels like Lillard is there for the long-term.
8. Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Center; 34; $38 million player option for 2027-2810.9 ppg, 1.7 apg, 11.5 rpg in 76 games
He is still a dominant defensive force and has been the anchor for the Timberwolves. Though Gobert is offensively limited, there is a demand for rim protectors, though he may want one more chance to ink a lucrative, long-term deal.
7. Anthony Davis (Washington Wizards)
Center; 33; $62.8 million player option for 2027-2820.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, 11.1 rpg in 20 games
This will be an interesting case because, on the open market, Davis won’t see the type of payday available to him through the option. So this will test whether he sees Washington as a longer-term option. Either way, availability and durability concerns continue to prevent Davis from being a dominant force.
6. Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)
Guard; 34; $42.4 million player option for 2027-2824.7 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.8 rpg in 50 games (2024-25)
He missed all of last season as he recovered from his torn anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in March 2025, so it will be interesting to see how he responds this season. Still, he should remain one of the best ball-handlers in the NBA and a player who can operate in the tightest of spaces. The complicated element in this is that the Mavericks are rebuilding and may have a different timeline to consider.
5. LeBron James (Philadelphia 76ers)
Forward; 41; $4.1 million player option for 2027-2820.9 ppg, 7.2 apg, 6.1 rpg in 60 games
At this point of his career, his best asset is his ability to create plays for others, especially in transition. But by taking the deal James signed this offseason with the Sixers, it was clear this was not about money. He wants to compete for championships, and it’s hard to see James — who is extremely calculated and measured in his career choices — to upend his career once more. Given his age, his workload will need to be managed cautiously.
4. Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets)
Forward; 37; $46.1 million player option for 2027-2826.0 ppg, 4.8 apg, 5.5 rpg in 78 games
He might be the best pure scorer of this generation, and he still has plenty of offense left to offer, especially with his size and shooting ability. There was the issue of an alleged burner and some potential concerns in the locker room, but Durant has been searching for an elusive third NBA title.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks)
Center; 30; $61 million player option for 2027-2820.1 ppg, 3.0 apg, 11.9 rpg in 75 games
He showed how versatile he can be when the Knicks altered their offense mid-postseason to run distribution through Towns. He boasts deep shooting range, can pass and rebound and can step up his defensive effort when he wants. He’s in his prime, but foul trouble and some occasional inconsistent stretches can crop up.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat)
Forward; 31; $62.8 million player option for 2027-2827.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 9.8 rpg in 36 games
He didn’t hand-pick the Heat to not eventually sign a long-term extension there. Because of the trade, he won’t be extension eligible until early January. Either way, he is an offensive force and one of the elite stars in the sport. Nagging calf injuries, however, are a concern worth monitoring.
1. Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)
Center; 31; $62.8 million player option for 2027-2827.7 ppg, 10.7 apg, 12.9 rpg in 65 games
The three-time Most Valuable Player remains the most gifted offensive player on the planet, with his low-post footwork and elite vision and passing ability. He and the Nuggets will almost certainly work out a massive max contract, worth north of $359 million, but Denver needs to find ways to keep Jokić happy with a competitive roster.
Notable mention: Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers), Jalen Green (Suns), Julius Randle (Nets), Ty Jerome (Grizzlies), Bennedict Mathurin (Pelicans)
Top 2027 NBA free agents: team options
4. Santi Aldama (Dallas Mavericks)
Center; 25; $17 million team option for 2027-2814.0 ppg, 2.9 apg, 6.7 rpg in 43 games
Aldama, a 7-foot, versatile scorer who has improved every season he has been in the league, could be a nice asset for the Mavericks, or any team he’d join. Size and shooting range are his best assets.
3. Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Guard; 24; $2.9 million team option for 2027-2813.6 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.3 rpg in 57 games
After Mitchell broke out last season, especially in the playoffs, when the Thunder suffered a number of injuries, this team option is a massive bargain for Oklahoma City. The Thunder will likely want to try to negotiate a long-term extension to show goodwill, because Mitchell could become a key — and young — piece in the Thunder’s identity. Luxury tax and apron issues are considerations, but Mitchell is certainly a player worth investing in. If he hits the market, he should command a nice payday.
2. Josh Hart (New York Knicks)
Forward; 31; $22.4 million team option for 2027-2812.0 ppg, 4.8 apg, 7.4 rpg in 66 games
He won’t wow you with his stats, but Hart is versatile and makes the types of winning plays that don’t necessarily show up on the box score. He’s an excellent rebounder and can stroke a decently reliable shot from the perimeter, though he has found his home in New York. He’s a key part of this core. Will salary issues force the Knicks to move on?
1. Norman Powell (Chicago Bulls)
Guard; 33; $22.6 million team option for 2027-2821.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, 3.5 rpg in 58 games
Coming off his first and only All-Star season with the Heat, Powell showed that he can be a steady scoring presence, even when taking on a larger role. But the Bulls are in something of a rebuild, so a veteran of Powell’s age might not fit their timeline.
Notable mention: Isaiah Stewart (Grizzlies), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies), Isaiah Joe (Pistons), Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking the top 25 NBA free agents set to hit the 2027 market
More details pour out about NBA findings in Clippers, Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention case
The initial headlines were shocking: Five first-round picks taken away, Steve Ballmer suspended for a year, head of basketball operations Lawrence Frank suspended for six months, a $30 million fine. The loss of all those first-round picks is as close to an organizational death sentence as the NBA can hand out.
How the league got to the point Commissioner Adam Silver felt he had to bring the hammer down is detailed in the 36-page summary of the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz report (the law firm that did the actual investigation for the league).
How we got here
That report starts with something reported here and elsewhere: That when Kawhi Leonard was a free agent in 2019, his business manager Dennis Robertson — "Uncle Dennis" as he is more commonly known (now suspended from league business for five years) — asked the Raptors, Lakers, Clippers and every other team that reached out with wild requests, such as buying him a house or car, partial team ownership, and no-show endorsement deals. The NBA investigated at the time but found nothing, and the report agrees that the Clippers did nothing at that time.
However, less than a year later in the spring of 2020 (at the height of the pandemic), Robertson was putting pressure on the Clippers to, in the words of the report, "facilitate off-court business opportunities for Mr. Leonard." The report went on to say Ballmer told Robertson, "he and Clippers' personnel were all 'collective workers to try to help [Mr. Leonard] achieve his financial goals,' and Ms. Zucker assured Mr. Robertson that Mr. Ballmer would 'follow through on his promise.'"
The Clippers knew Leonard had a looming contract extension (which he ultimately signed in August of 2021), and so Robertson had some leverage.
How does the report know all this? Because Frank took (and retained) detailed notes from a meeting that involved him, Ballmer, Zucker and Robertson. Frank left a paper trail.
The endorsements
Within a few months of that meeting, Gillian Zucker, the president of business operations for the Clippers (now suspended for a year), set up connections for Robertson and Leonard with Daktronics, Boingo Wireless and Lockton insurance (this was in addition to a previous introduction to Aspiration).
The claim to innocence Ballmer and the Clippers make is that they introduced the sides — all three within six days in June at the height of the pandemic — but had no dealings with the endorsements beyond that. These were team sponsors, and there is no direct link showing Ballmer/Clippers paid any of the endorsers (including defunct green bank Aspiration) telling them to pass the money along to Leonard.
The report lays out how the Clippers operated in a much more old-school, mafia-style way. The Clippers were in levels of negotiations to do major business with these companies (Daktronics built the Halo Board in the Intuit Dome, for example), but first they wanted to introduce the companies to their good friend Kawhi Leonard and his business partner, and maybe there was a way you guys could connect. There were some dealings in between, but essentially these companies set up endorsement deals with Leonard (for a total of $18 million, according to the report) and not long after, those companies had more direct business with the Clippers coming their way.
In the report, Zucker said those emails were introductions made because the companies requested it. Investigators were not buying it. The report says there was no evidence that all three companies requested meetings with Leonard within days of each other at a time the NBA season was suspended due to COVID. By September, all three companies had endorsement deals with Leonard. The report says Daktronics believed that "failing to enter into a commercial relationship with Leonard could jeopardize its ability to win the bid for the Intuit Dome."
That there were four companies tied to this matters. The max the NBA can fine a team for salary cap circumvention is $7.5 million per case, but combine the four and you get to the $30 million figure.
It's worth noting that while Leonard released a statement (on social media and through his new agent) essentially saying he didn't know anything about this, the report details that he was hands-on with parts of the Aspiration endorsement. However, getting Leonard and the NBPA on board meant the league could keep this from going to a neutral arbitrator, as the players' union could have demanded (under the terms of the CBA). That would have both dragged this out and opened a door for Ballmer and the Clippers to fight the penalties and findings internally. Now, it's likely headed to court.
Could the Clippers get some of those first-round picks back? Sure. The NBA did that the last time they came down hard on a franchise for cap circumvention, the Joe Smith case with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Eventually, they got two of their last five picks back, but they also didn't fight the punishment and largely kept a low profile, essentially getting rewarded for good behavior. That doesn't sound like the direction Ballmer's heading.
NBA: Cody Williams Review and Scouting Report
A few years ago, I came on this site to write about Nickeil Alexander-Walker and how he was worth believing in for the Minnesota Timberwolves. That piece eventually got back to Nickeil and he thanked a Canis staffer at his introductory press conference, saying it meant the world to him.
Now I am decidedly not as bullish on today’s topic as I was on NAW a few years ago. However, I tell you what: if I had a nickel for every time the Utah Jazz dumped a young player in Minnesota only for them to revive their career and become a fiercely important and valuable member of the Wolves, all while wearing number nine, well, I guess I’m saying there’s no reason I can’t have two Nickeils (Canis is back, baby!).
While the appeal for Nickeil was as much an emotional and aesthetic one as it was an on-court one, the argument for Cody Williams is built entirely on who he was as a prospect and what he needs within a team structure. Remember, this is a former top-10 pick who has been branded among the worst players in the league just two years into his career. The expectations are really low.
Williams came into the league with an outlier body type in every regard. Despite being 6’8 with a 7’1 wingspan, Williams weighed only 180 pounds. Ironically, his weight-to-size ratio only really compares to one player: former Timberwolves lottery pick and 2024 draft classmate Rob Dillingham.
Even Brandon Ingram, a common comparison for Cody, was reported at 198 pounds, over 15 pounds heavier than Williams.
Effective athleticism alongside usable mass is king in the NBA. That’s exactly why Dillingham was bound to fail. As Williams’ first year dragged on, this lacking of a frame became abundantly clear. While Williams had been drafted to be a big wing with some point forward skills, his handle was not good enough to be a factor on offense, and his body prevented all of his biggest strengths on defense. As such, he was branded, as Dane Moore mentioned, the worst player in the NBA.
There’s a statistical argument to defend that take. In fact, it’s pretty easy to make. Williams had an offensive rating of 112.9 and a defensive rating of 124.4 in 2025-26, making the tanking, dreadful Jazz lose the minutes he was in the game by 11.5 points per 100 possessions.
By comparison, Josh Green, whom the Wolves traded to acquire Williams, had a net rating of +8.3 last year.
This numerical glance was never the argument with Cody, though. It rarely is for second-draft candidates. They’re bad; that’s why they’re available in the first place.
No, the argument for Cody Williams is this. He is a 6’8 wing with a +3-inch wingspan who played as a point forward in college at Colorado (ignore the 1.6 assists per game, that does not tell the full story). During that time in college, he averaged 12 points per game, largely by attacking the rim and running in transition.
Many of the answers to who the Wolves will want Williams to be can be found in his college tape. They will want him to hit his threes. He hit 41.5% from deep on 43 attempts in college. They will want him to be able to attack closeouts. He made 59% of his shots within the arc, coming largely at the rim after attacking rotations. They will want him to defend interchangeably. That was his largest appeal coming into the draft.
Notably, they’ll want him to play off of LaMelo Ball in transition. While this is an admittedly imperfect comparison, Williams’ freshman year came next to KJ Simpson, a pace-pushing point guard with far less size and talent than the mercurial Ball.
Williams was stuck on one of the worst teams in the league, being asked to do far more than he probably should have been doing. Maybe more structure on the Wolves will help him in that regard. Importantly, after a freshman year that was marred by injury, Williams has played in 117 of a possible 164 games.
Considering NAW got his shot in Minnesota by nature of being one of the few wings that were healthy by the start of the playoffs – after Jaden McDaniels broke his hand punching the tunnel wall – Cody’s best chance at seeing the floor is availability.
We could very well be sitting here next year with Williams cut, his option declined, and his career functionally over. That’s how it always is with these types of players.
But there’s a tantalizing upside play here. With how weak the Wolves’ forward rotation is (Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, TJ Shannon, Jaylen Clark, and… who’s next? Is Trey Lyles cracking the rotation?), there should be some minutes available to him during the duldrums of the season, when innings eaters are needed.
The ideal version of Williams is similar to a Gen Z Lamar Odom. Cody is reportedly still underweight, sitting at 200-odd pounds, but progress is being made. Odom served as a rebounding pivot point and was at his best moving in transition and finishing opportunities he either scrounged around or had created for him.
There are real reasons for hope as well. After the All-Star break, Williams had impressive averages while doing things that should lend themselves to winning basketball as well.
There is obviously the Josh Jackson effect to consider (when talented top picks break out late in the season, when their teams are incentivized to lose and give their worse players a ton of reps), but some of this stuff looks replicable. He had his bad games, bad enough to be crowned their tank commander, but the aesthetics of what he can do truly pop in moments.
If you want a statistical argument, Williams does not provide it. If you want hope, you can find it pretty easily.
And isn’t that what it means to be a fan? To hope.
Here’s some bottled hope, all packaged up in the form of a two-minute cut-up. Stay hopeful, Wolves fans. Maybe Cody Williams will be the next NAW. Maybe, just maybe, he could be even more.
Lakers won’t crater without LeBron James, says Derek Fisher
The Los Angeles Lakers entered their post-LeBron James era this summer after the four-time NBA champion informed the team he wouldn’t be returning for the 2026-27 season.
There are contrasting opinions on how the Lakers will perform without the 41-year-old superstar, who spent eight consecutive seasons with LA.
But former Lakers star Derek Fisher doesn’t believe the team is doomed without James.
“You think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left. So it’s not going to fall off that much because Luka is there,” Fisher said on 97.1 The Fan LA.
“I think Luka and Austin Reaves are basically an All-Star backcourt that you can roll out every night, and then Walker Kessler is a young developing almost All-Star-ish type of big in terms of his elite defense and rebounding. So I think you have a chance…45 to 50 wins, a lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me.”
General manager Rob Pelinka revamped the roster this offseason, headlined by the four-year, $130 million deal for center Walker Kessler. There have been several questions pertaining to the roster, specifically whether Luka Doncic can lead his teammates on a deep playoff run.
He’s already proven he can do just that with the Dallas Mavericks, but the city of LA demands winning sports teams. Doncic will have to show he can pull the full weight of the Lakers without James this season.
And it appears Fisher believes Doncic is capable.
The Clippers are sinking. Should the Suns go fishing?
What is a Clipper? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Well, my unnautically aware friend, it’s a ship. More specifically, a 19th-century merchant ship. And seeing as the Los Angeles Clippers originated in San Diego after moving from Buffalo in 1978, it makes sense that a team in one of the greatest port cities on Earth would be named after one.
Following the circumvention death sentence the Clippers received as a result of the Kawhi Leonard acquisition in 2019, that ship is doing more than taking on water. It’s sinking. They lost five first-round draft picks in the process, and those penalties don’t even begin until 2029 because they didn’t own their 2027 or 2028 picks to begin with. Their ability to build through the draft or utilize those picks in trades is essentially null and void.
I know plenty of people are concerned that the Phoenix Suns don’t control their own first-round pick until 2032. That’s a long time away. But that isn’t the same as not having first-round picks. The Suns still have them; they’re simply heavily swapped and will likely find themselves outside of the lottery. For the Clippers, those assets no longer exist.
Imagine being a member of that team. Imagine waking up this morning and thinking about your future as a basketball player. If winning matters to you, that ship may have sailed. Pun intended.
So as the Clippers try to figure out how to move forward and salvage something from the wreckage, there could be an opportunity for the Phoenix Suns to make a run at an asset or two if they deem one worth pursuing. And one asset worth exploring, the subject of today’s thought exercise, is Darius Garland.
It’s perceived as the primary concern for the Suns as they prepare for the 2026–27 season: the lack of a traditional point guard. The plan appears to be a backcourt of Devin Booker and Jalen Green, which on the surface looks like a pair of duplicative players. They’re both shooting guards, although they operate in much different spaces. Booker is a midrange assassin, while Green uses his athleticism to get downhill and put pressure on the rim. Both are below-average three-point shooters, and from a distribution standpoint, neither possesses elite passing as a primary skill. Booker probably doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to make those around him better, while that is something Green has struggled to do consistently throughout his career.
Add to that the fact that this is a full evaluation year for Green. The Suns appear ready to hand him the keys to the facilitation role and see what he does with it. He’ll make $36.3 million this season and has a $36 million player option for next year. With extensions beginning to kick in elsewhere on the roster, his production needs to match the expectations attached to that contract.
So the question becomes, do the Suns bypass all of that uncertainty and make a run at Darius Garland from a decimated Clippers organization?
Garland, a 6’1” combo guard who is 26 years old, carries some similarities to what Jalen Green brings. He’s quick, can get to the rim, and finishes with creative shot-making. He’s a smaller guard than Green, but he also brings something Phoenix could use more of. Shooting. Garland is a career 38.9% three point shooter on 6.1 attempts per game, and he can facilitate as well, averaging 6.7 assists across his seven-year career. He’s tough, tenacious, and someone who could potentially blend into the identity and culture the Suns established last season. He is also a more polished and consistent NBA player, someone who could elevate the offense immediately.
Defensively, the size is a concern. At 6’1”, there are going to be matchups where he can be targeted. But given the Suns’ current construction, with Dillon Brooks available to handle point of attack responsibilities and Khaman Maluach potentially providing rim protection behind him, Garland is someone Phoenix could hide when needed. He graded out as a C- in Perimeter Isolation Defense last season, according to BBall Index, landing in the 43rd percentile. For context, Green graded as a B- and finished in the 60th percentile.
When you look at Garland’s contract, that’s where the crux of the conversation really exists. He’s owed $42.6 million this season and $44.9 million next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2028–29. So essentially, he’s on the same availability timeline as Jalen Green, only he costs roughly $6 million more per year. That means a straight-up swap for Green doesn’t work. Phoenix would have to add more salary, and with so many players re-signed this offseason, most of those contracts can’t be moved until January 15, 2027.
That doesn’t mean the idea isn’t worth exploring. So, like an admiral aboard a clipper, let’s explore it.
Any deal with Los Angeles would start with Jalen Green going out for Darius Garland, but Phoenix would still need to add roughly $6 million in salary to make the numbers work. The most logical piece is Luke Kennard. If the Suns sent Green, Kennard, and their 2027 first-round pick to the Clippers, that could get the framework moving. If Los Angeles wanted another first, Phoenix could also include its 2028 first-round pick. Both of those picks are heavily swapped.
Kennard is a newly signed free agent, so any possibility of pulling the trigger on a trade like this wouldn’t become plausible until at least December 15. That timeline could actually align with Phoenix’s plans. The Suns want to give Jalen Green some runway at the point guard position and see what he looks like in that role. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, a deal like this could become a potential out for the team.
One thing is clear. Any transaction involving the Clippers moving forward has to include draft assets. This is an organization that was stripped of half a decade of picks, so replenishing that draft cupboard is going to matter. In this scenario, the Clippers would get two players and at least one first-round pick, potentially two.
Adding Garland would also help define roles across the roster rather than asking Jalen Green to suddenly become a quality, consistent facilitator. It would give the Suns a player whose archetype better fits their needs and remove some of the uncertainty that comes with another year of Devin Booker’s prime.
Because one thing is certain. Booker’s prime has already been squandered to some degree by poor decisions and roster construction over the previous four years. Last season, the ship finally started moving in the right direction. If the Suns want to keep pushing that way, Booker should be allowed to play his natural position as a shooting guard rather than continually hoping that someone like Bradley Beal or Jalen Green can take over the facilitation role. Too often, that responsibility falls back on Booker as the season progresses, ultimately taking away from what makes him most effective.
In this hypothetical, I don’t know if the Clippers would bite. If they’re serious about moving Garland, there are probably teams that can offer more attractive draft assets. The Suns simply don’t have anything particularly sexy when compared to what other teams could put on the table. But given the situation the Clippers now find themselves in, it would still be worth picking up the phone and seeing whether there’s any interest.
The Clippers are sinking, and the Suns should be checking the water for anything valuable that floats their way. Garland would give Phoenix something it has been searching for since Chris Paul left: a legitimate point guard who can organize the offense while allowing Booker to be Booker. The price matters, especially with Phoenix’s limited assets, but the opportunity is worth exploring. If the Clippers are selling pieces to rebuild their ship, the Suns should at least see what it costs to bring Garland aboard.
The bombshell messages that doomed Clippers owner Steve Ballmer in Kawhi Leonard scandal
Documents have been released and bombshell text messages have been revealed in the Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention scandal involving billionaire Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
The Clippers were fined $30 million, Ballmer was suspended for one year and the team was docked five first-round draft picks in a poison-pill punishment for what the league believes proves the team’s guilt.
According to documents released by law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, notes from Clippers president Lawrence Frank dated April 2020 reveal that Leonard’s then-manager, the infamous “Uncle Dennis” Robertson, expressed frustration with the team for what he perceived as a lack of effort by the Clippers to make good on promised off-court business opportunities.
Robertson reportedly complained to Ballmer about president of business operations Gillian Zucker making “introductions” for “bulls-t deals.”
“I can’t wait on [Ms. Zucker],” Robertson said, according to notes from Frank included in the documents published by the law firm. “I have to get paid.”
Balmer allegedly responded by telling Robertson that Clippers personnel were all “collective workers to try to help Leonard achieve his financial goals.”
Leonard entered free agency nine months before those conversations, so Robertson was presumably getting frustrated by the lack of movement after he signed.
Leonard inked a three-year deal with a player option for the third year in 2021.
The documents also reveal that Aspiration, the sustainability tree-planting company indicted on wire fraud and conspiracy charges in October 2025, agreed to pay Leonard $48 million in cash and stock ($12 million per year for four years) as part of his Clippers contract.
In return, Aspiration allegedly dangled business contract opportunities with the Clippers’ arena, The Forum.
Ballmer bought the Forum in 2020, and Aspiration was expecting a deal with the Arena.
Aspiration founder Joe Sanberg sent an ultimatum to an unnamed business agent under retainer with the Clippers who appears to be one of the whistleblowers in the scheme.
“Kawhi deal is not happening without this Forum deal,” Sanberg said in texts to the unknown business agent. “ZERO CHANCE there is a Kawhi deal if this isn’t fixed. You know that right? I told Scott Sonnenberg [Clippers Chief Commercial Officer] that I’ll need to break the deal with Kawhi and explain why, which is that we got f–ked by the Clippers. Scott asked me not to do that.”
The closest that the documents come to implicating Balmer’s direct knowledge is Leonard’s willingness to stay with the Clippers, which comes from former CFO Eric Chan in an email on March 31, 2022.
“Steve knows that when this deal blows up, Joe is calling Kawhi and telling him his $12M deal is no longer because of Clippers management, right? I think so, but just double-checking,” Chan said.
Ballmer told investigators he was aware of Sanderg’s ongoing threats to blow up the endorsement deal with Leonard if the Forum Agreement was not executed in a timely manner.
The Clippers formally approved the execution of the Forum Agreement in April 2022, which investigators called an act of facilitation that violates the NBA’s circumvention rules.
The Forum Agreement was worth at least $28 million, and it was estimated that this sum was needed to offset the team’s carbon emissions, though the documents make it unclear whether that was the contract’s true value.
Ballmer previously said in a statement that the initial reports of the illegal tactics, reported by Pablo Torre on his podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” were “provably false.”
This latest bombshell report hasn’t stopped the former Microsoft CEO from pleading innocence despite the evidence presented.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” Ballmer said in a statement.
“We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”
Leonard received a relatively light punishment of just a $700,000 fine and he was not suspended by the league.
There is more to come on this investigation.
“A credible witness with direct knowledge told investigators that the consulting agreement one company signed with the Clippers was in fact a ruse,” the law firm’s document stated, “designed and intended to be a vehicle for the team to provide the company with funds to be paid to Mr. Leonard.”