The Wizards' connection to Kawhi Leonard, Clippers scandal

Washington Wizards fans haven't had much to be grateful for in recent years, but at least they don't support the Los Angeles Clippers. The NBA punished the latter organization on Wednesday for circumventing the salary cap, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

"BREAKING: The NBA has ruled on the Los Angeles Clippers in for salary cap circumvention investigations on Kawhi Leonard after yearlong probe -- stripping the franchise of 5 first-round picks, issuing a $30 million fine to owner Steve Ballmer and suspensions for Ballmer, Lawrence Frank and Gillian Zucker, sources tell ESPN," he reported.

"Kawhi Leonard will have to pay $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits by the Clippers for his uncle and former business rep, Dennis Robertson. No contract void or suspension for Leonard," he continued. "And Robertson -- who was fired by Leonard in June -- is being banned by the NBA from all business dealings."

Leonard played for the Clippers from 2019 to 2026, and Wizards president Michael Winger was the Clippers' general manager from 2017 to 2023. In February, independent investigative journalist Pablo Torre reported that while Winger was in Los Angeles, he asked, "How many [expletive] side deals have we made with Kawhi?"

Torre broke the cap circumvention story in September 2025, 364 days before Charania announced the league's punishment. The NBA issued punishments after New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz announced that Leonard made $66 million in off-court endorsements facilitated by the Clippers and Robertson, per The Los Angeles Times.

In a statement, Leonard blamed people in his inner circle and acknowledged that he'll play for the Toronto Raptors next season. The trade between Los Angeles and Toronto was agreed to in June but not yet finalized due to the investigation.

Wizards fans can breathe sigh of relief

Although Winger was the Clippers' general manager for Leonard's first four years with the team, there's no evidence that he was directly responsible for the side deals. But Frank, who has been Los Angeles' president of basketball operations since 2017, was punished along with Zucker, a business executive with the team since 2014.

Torre mentioned that Winger said his aforementioned quote in an "exasperated way" because Ballmer created the "largest salary cap circumvention scheme in the history of professional sports."

Instead of staying on a sinking ship, Winger joined the Wizards along with general manager Will Dawkins in 2023. Since then, the two have built a roster headlined by 2026 No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, four-time All-Star Trae Young, future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis, and 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr.

Conversely, Los Angeles now has just four first-round picks over the next seven drafts and a roster headlined by Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland and 2026 No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler. Ingram will join the Clippers when the Leonard trade goes through.

Before Winger and Dawkins, Wizards fans suffered through several seasons of mediocrity without a long-term vision. Meanwhile, Los Angeles made the playoffs in three of four campaigns under Winger, including a 2021 conference finals run.

Now, Washington has the tools for sustained success with the veteran executive while the Clippers enter a dark age.

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