Clippers' Kawhi Leonard deal rivals worst in NBA history
The LA Clippers' 2019 acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, paired with Paul George, has culminated in severe NBA penalties for salary-cap circumvention.
The LA Clippers' era with Kawhi Leonard is ending as one of the most costly failures in NBA history. The final reckoning came Wednesday when the league levied harsh penalties for salary-cap violations related to Leonard's signing, compounding a seven-year, near-$600 million basketball investment that never reached a conference finals.
Leonard was paid nearly $350 million in salary by the Clippers over seven seasons. During that span, the team won only three playoff series. Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season with an ACL tear, played just 37 games in 2024, and after returning from the ACL injury, he lasted only two playoff games in 2023 before a meniscus tear contributed to three consecutive first-round exits.
The George Package Deal
The financial and strategic cost extends far beyond Leonard's direct salary. Paul George arrived as a package deal, a move understood to be at Leonard's behest. To acquire George from Oklahoma City, the Clippers sent out a massive haul of assets that now includes All-NBA player Jalen Williams and back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder won the 2025 championship with those pieces. For the Clippers, the pairing of Leonard and George, which cost the team nearly $200 million more for George's services through 2025, failed to deliver a title.
Severe NBA Penalties
On Wednesday, the NBA concluded a nearly year-long investigation into the Clippers' conduct surrounding Leonard. The league found the team guilty of circumventing salary-cap rules to funnel additional, undisclosed money to the star. The violations included initiating and help off-court income deals with companies doing business with the team, paying personal expenses for Leonard and his representatives, and failing to report improper solicitations.
The penalties were severe for the franchise, though notably lighter for Leonard himself. The star reportedly received over $50 million in extra income from the arrangements but was fined only $700,000. The Clippers' punishments were far more consequential.
| Penalty Type | Specific Consequence |
|---|---|
| Financial Fine | $30 million |
| Executive Suspensions | Owner Steve Ballmer & President Gillian Zucker (1 year); President Lawrence Frank (6 months) |
| Draft Pick Forfeiture | Five consecutive first-round picks (2029 through 2033) |
A Crippling Long-Term Cost
Combining the George trade cost with the new penalties paints a dire picture of the transaction's total impact. The Clippers effectively sacrificed 10 first-round draft picks, a two-time MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander, and sustained executive suspensions, all while paying nearly $600 million in combined salary to Leonard and George. The duo never played in a conference finals game together.
It is important to note that in 2019, Leonard was a coveted free agent and George was coming off an MVP-caliber season. The basketball decision to pursue them was sound. The catastrophic outcome stems from the on-court failures and the off-court rule-breaking that triggered Wednesday's historic sanctions.
The article contrasts the Clippers' fate with that of the Dallas Mavericks, who made what it calls "the dumbest deals in history" by trading Luka Dončić. Despite that, Dallas later won the draft lottery with a 1.8% chance and selected Cooper Flagg, leaving room for debate about their long-term outcome. The Clippers, however, have no such silver lining. Even with two first-round picks expected back from the stalled trade sending Leonard to Toronto, the organization faces an eight-pick net loss on the Leonard ledger and a future hobbled by the league's punishment.
