As the Toronto Raptors patiently await the fate of Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, here’s what sports history suggests could be in store for all parties involved.
Joe Smith precedent
The closest comparison is Joe Smith, who played 16 years in the NBA between 1995 and 2011. Before the 2000 season, it was discovered that Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves had committed salary circumvention. The Timberwolves promised the forward a lucrative long-term deal if he agreed to three one-year contracts of $3 million each.
The league’s punishment mostly affected the franchise, rather than Smith. While Smith’s one-year contracts were voided, he didn’t have to pay anything back. He also lost his Bird Rights, which only affected Minnesota. However, in addition to a fine, the Timberwolves ultimately lost their first-rounders for the next three years. Timberwolves Owner Glenn Taylor and General Manager Kevin McHale were asked to leave the team until the following summer.
While there’s an obvious discrepancy in the amount of money involved, how the NBA handled the Smith debacle suggests that Leonard won’t have to pay a single percentage of the salary earned during his time in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Clippers could likely end up losing draft picks while receiving a fine.
If Leonard’s contract is voided, Raptors fans should consider that as the nightmare scenario. Toronto wouldn’t have the financial space to offer Leonard anywhere near his market value, and it’s likely the 2019 Finals MVP would prefer a team with a clean slate.
The Devil is in the details
If the NBA looks outside of its sandbox for guidance, the NHL rejected a deal between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk during the 2010 off-season. The league concluded that the Devils’ 17-year, $102-million contract illegally circumvented the salary cap because of its back-end structure, despite other organizations using similar strategies.
The Devils were fined $3-million and forfeited a first-round pick, and a third-round pick.
The NFL had a similar experience when the league office punished the Denver Broncos in 2004 for salary cap circumvention between 1996-98. The details of the findings include the Broncos organization and their players agreeing to deferred payments. Denver won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998. The franchise was fined nearly $1-million and lost its third-round pick in the ensuing draft.
These examples further suggest that the Clippers could lose draft picks and receive financial penalties.
Suspensions
A majority of the suspensions in NBA history are due to physical altercations and incidents involving drugs or substances. Ron Artest’s involvement in Malice at the Palace (86 games), Latrell Sprewell’s altercation with Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo (68 games), and Gilbert Arenas’ locker room incident (50 games) are the three longest player suspensions. Meanwhile, former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver (93 games) and Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens (65 games) served the longest suspensions for non-players.
If Leonard is suspended, it’s like that it ends up being anywhere from one to 30 games. Stephen Jackson (Malice at the Palace) and Miles Bridges (domestic violence) both received 30-game suspensions. While there isn’t precedent for salary circumvention, there have been rare suspensions for player conduct deemed detrimental to the team or league’s reputation. This includes two separate suspensions for Ja Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies (25 games, eight games), Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets (eight games), and Jimmy Butler with the Miami Heat (seven games).
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