The Kawhi Leonard-centered trade sending the seven-time All-Star from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors was finally officially announced on Monday. The NBA blockbuster was finalized more than one year after Leonard was first implicated in the Clippers' salary cap circumvention scandal. ESPN media personality Stephen A.
Smith discussed the controversy and trade during Tuesday's episode of "First Take" and roasted Leonard for his role in the situation, calling him a "gangster." https://bsky.app/profile/awfulannouncing.bsky.social/post/3mvkvt5qftx2b Los Angeles and Toronto first agreed to the trade on June 30, but the move was delayed while the NBA investigated allegations that the Clippers violated salary cap rules when they signed the two-time Defensive Player of the Year in free agency. The league closed its investigation earlier this summer and concluded that Los Angeles had taken part in a "pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations." The NBA handed down a hefty punishment to the organization. The Clippers were stripped of five first-round draft picks from 2029 to 2033 and fined $30 million.
The NBA also suspended owner Steve Ballmer from all team and NBA activities for a year, suspended president of business operations Gillian Zucker without pay for one year and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months. Leonard, meanwhile, was only given a $700,000 fine. The 35-year-old forward spent the 2018-19 season with the Raptors and led the franchise their only NBA title while earning Finals MVP honors.
Leonard first signed with Los Angeles in July 2019 and made four All-Star teams during his seven-year run with the team. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game across 65 contests last season and finished seventh in the NBA MVP voting. The Clippers received two-time All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, 22-year-old shooting guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-rounders in the trade.
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