In the early 2000s, the Minnesota Timberwolves absolutely crippled their team by attempting to sign forward Joe Smith to an under-the-table deal that would give him a minimum deal for two years before giving him a big contract when the team got his bird rights. They were caught and lost five first-round picks (before two of them were eventually returned).
What the LA Clippers have done, however, is far more heinous. They used outside endorsements to juice Leonard's deal, not even requiring him to attend. While everyone knows about Aspiration at this point, another brand deal has come to light as well.
Here's what it means for the Indiana Pacers.
The basketball of it all
The Clippers own nine first-round picks between now and the 2033 season, including two first-rounders from the Toronto Raptors as part of the return for Leonard and a 2029 first from the Ivica Zubac deal.
The punishments must be extreme for a move of this ilk, especially considering Steve Ballmer is the richest owner in the sport and will continue to skirt the cap if he is not shown just how grievous an error this was.
If Leonard is treated the same way that Smith was, the trade with the Raptors will be voided, and his contract will be voided, leaving him as arguably the most valuable free agent to ever be available this late into the offseason.
While there is a question of whether the Pacers could lure Leonard to build a fantastic team with a top-scoring option finally in the wings and two of his favorite teammates from his two most recent stints, the question becomes one of a draft pick.
Picks are usually vacated instead of returned. However, the Clippers do not have the pick equity for the league to strip. The 2028 first is in Philadelphia as part of the James Harden trade. The 2027 and 2029 firsts are involved in swaps and, as such, cannot be abandoned in the same way.
That would leave the Clippers giving up their first-rounder for 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033. Hidden within that period is the 2029 Pacers first. Would that pick be abdicated as well?
If that were the case, it would be little but a pyrrhic victory for the Pacers, who would see their trade package for Ivica Zubac be neatly summed up in Illinois rookie Keaton Wagler, who had a dreadful summer league.
That singular pick could become the entirety of the draft assets the Clippers will hold onto while entering a rebuild. While a free agent in the stacked 2028-29 class could come along to save them, the more likely situation would be that they would hold on to hope that the Pacers suck.
In that way, the biggest effect of this investigation is the brewing of a mutual hate watch. The Pacers must avoid being bad enough for the Clippers to find a real talent with their pick, and the Clippers will prey on their downfall at every turn.
Just in case you needed another reason to hate the Clippers, there you go.
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