---
[ LA WATCHDOG ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog)
# Kawhi’s Slap on the Wrist
September 24 2026
Written by Jack Humphreville.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
LA WATCHDOG - The LA Clippers of the National Basketball Association and Kawhi Leonard are being penalized for violating the salary cap circumvention rules contained in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the National Basketball Players Association. This penalty is based on an independent investigation by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a highly regarded New York City law firm.
As a result, the Clippers will forfeit five first round draft picks (2029-33), having already traded away their next two first round picks.
Owner Steve Balmer is being fined $30 million and suspended from all league and team activities for a year for part in helping Kawhi obtain off-court revenue.
Two other Clipper employees are also suspended for six months and a year without pay for their part in the circumvention scheme.
According to the Wachtel Lipton report, Leonard received $68 million in off court revenue from four companies that had financial arrangements with Balmer and/or the Clippers. For his role, Leonard was fined $700,000 by the NBA, about 1% of the $68 million he “earned” for his no-show contracts.
During his seven-year tenure with the Clippers, Kawhi has earned almost $300 million. And over his playing career, his total earnings are expected to be in the range of $540 million, including his seven-year stint with the San Antonio Spurs and his past and future years with the Toronto Raptors.
While one may argue that $68 million is chump change, Leonard knew, or should have known, that these payments violated the circumvention rules. And yet he proceeded with this scheme, perhaps at the urging of his uncle and business manager who is banned for five years.
It appears that Leonard is protected by his union’s agreement with the NBA. This is not right. If there were appropriate penalties, Leonard would be forced to surrender these ill begotten gains, and then some, not to the four affiliated companies or the Clippers, but to a LA based charity.
In the future, players and their agents should be responsible for their actions and pay the price and not be protected by the agreement between the NBA and the Players Association.
We in LA will pay the price as the Clippers, stripped of their five first round draft picks, will be a non-competitive team for the next decade, tainted by this scandal, playing in front of scant crowds paying bargain basement prices.
***(Jack Humphreville** writes the LA Watchdog column for CityWatch, where he covers city finances, utilities, and accountability at City Hall. He is President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, serves as the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and is a longtime Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. With a sharp focus on fiscal responsibility and transparency, Jack brings an informed and independent voice to Los Angeles civic affairs. He can be reached at ****.)*
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
First Name
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/housing/33413-with-national-implications-corporate-landlords-take-aim-at-three-pro-rent-control-campaigns-in-california)
### [With National Implications, Corporate Landlords Take Aim at Three Pro-Rent Control Campaigns in California](https://mail.citywatchla.com/housing/33413-with-national-implications-corporate-landlords-take-aim-at-three-pro-rent-control-campaigns-in-california)
HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT - Corporate landlords and their high-powered lobbying group, the California Apartment Associat…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33386-massacre-on-city-streets-mayor-bass-must-issue-an-emergency-declaration-now)
### [Massacre on City Streets: Mayor Bass Must Issue an Emergency Declaration Now](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33386-massacre-on-city-streets-mayor-bass-must-issue-an-emergency-declaration-now)
NICK'S VIEW - I have previously written about Los Angeles’s grim paradox: a city that promises safer streets while bein…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33395-should-dwp-ratepayers-pay-for-the-citys-streetlights)
### [Should DWP Ratepayers Pay for the City’s Streetlights? ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33395-should-dwp-ratepayers-pay-for-the-citys-streetlights)
LA WATCHDOG - In June, 80% of Los Angeles voters rejected the Bureau of Street Lighting’s ballot measure to increase th…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33398-why-are-la-officials-ignoring-illegal-rv-parking-on-washington-blvd)
### [Why Are LA Officials Ignoring Illegal RV Parking on Washington Blvd?](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33398-why-are-la-officials-ignoring-illegal-rv-parking-on-washington-blvd)
WESTSIDE - Washington Blvd here in Venice is a main artery and corridor to the beach and pier. It is in fact a gateway…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/guest-words/33419-they-tried-to-break-the-jewish-people-we-kept-building)
### [They Tried to Break the Jewish People. We Kept Building](https://mail.citywatchla.com/guest-words/33419-they-tried-to-break-the-jewish-people-we-kept-building)
A STUDENT’S VIEW - My generation of Jews has learned something I wish we did not have to learn so young: antisemitism i…
---
## [ LA WATCHDOG ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33403-kawhis-slap-on-the-wrist)### [Kawhi’s Slap on the Wrist](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33403-kawhis-slap-on-the-wrist)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33299-vote-no-on-charter-amendment-la)### [Vote NO on Charter Amendment LA](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33299-vote-no-on-charter-amendment-la)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33280-vote-no-on-the-highly-regressive-10-3-4-sales-tax)### [Vote NO on the Highly Regressive 10¾% Sales Tax](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33280-vote-no-on-the-highly-regressive-10-3-4-sales-tax)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33246-refund-rec-parks-vote-yes-on-charter-amendment-prk)### [Refund Rec & Parks: Vote Yes on Charter Amendment PRK](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33246-refund-rec-parks-vote-yes-on-charter-amendment-prk)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33202-proposition-38-should-taxpayers-finance-medical-research)### [Proposition 38: Should Taxpayers Finance Medical Research?](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33202-proposition-38-should-taxpayers-finance-medical-research)