Stephen A Smith believes Kawhi Leonard ban could be on table amid scandal Jarrod CastilloSat, August 8, 2026 at 3:56 AM UTC 0 Stephen A. Smith believes Kawhi Leonard should be punished heavily if found guilty of attempting to circumvent the salary cap Credit:X: @FirstTake Stephen A Smith had a harsh punishment in mind for Kawhi Leonard if he were found guilty of salary cap circumvention. In 2025, Leonard was alleged to have had a secret noshow deal with thenLos Angeles Clippers sponsor Aspiration, which would have given the star more money in addition to his contract with the team.
Stephen A Smith believes Kawhi Leonard ban could be on table amid scandal
Jarrod CastilloSat, August 8, 2026 at 3:56 AM UTC
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Stephen A. Smith believes Kawhi Leonard should be punished heavily if found guilty of attempting to circumvent the salary cap -Credit:X: @FirstTake
Stephen A Smith had a harsh punishment in mind for Kawhi Leonard if he were found guilty of salary cap circumvention.
In 2025, Leonard was alleged to have had a secret no-show deal with then-Los Angeles Clippers sponsor Aspiration, which would have given the star more money in addition to his contract with the team. The deal was unearthed by former ESPN reporter Pablo Torre, with the NBA soon beginning an investigation.
Recently, Torre revealed that Leonard allegedly had another multi-million-dollar deal, this time with scoreboard manufacturer DakTronics. The NBA is in the midst of its own investigation into Leonard, with the outcome surely playing a factor into whether the star's trade to the Toronto Raptors continues.
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"This is egregious if it's true," Smith said after initially beginning his reply by professing how fond he was of those working in the Clippers' front office and beyond. That said, he believes that those involved should face harsh punishment, regardless of his relationship with those in the organization.
"If it's true, we're talking about banishment to Steve Ballmer, as far as I'm concerned, for at least a year," Smith continued. "We're talking about, and it should be entertained that Kawhi Leonard should be banned for a year. Yeah, he just took the money, but damn that."
The ESPN pundit noted that if Leonard is found to have another no-show deal - aside from his alleged partnership with Aspiration - as Torre stated during his most recent investigation, the star could be opening up "Pandora's Box."
Kawhi Leonard allegedly had been paid to do no work for the company Aspiration before it collapsed -Credit:Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
"So you had not one, but a couple of companies funneling money to you to circumvent the salary cap where you're getting this money, but you're also getting these additional dollars on the side illegally because according to NBA bylaws, you ain't supposed to be doing this. No, you can't go for that," he added.
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"There's nobody worth two cents that's going to believe this is the only place that's happening if it's true. There's no way on earth that Kawhi Leonard was innovative and he's the one that pulled this off. Now, I will say there is nobody that should give a master class on how to get paid without working better than Kawhi Leonard."
For now, it remains to be seen what will happen as the NBA continues its investigation into Leonard and the alleged side deals the star has had with other companies to allegedly circumvent the NBA's salary cap.
Despite the NBA's investigation, the Raptors traded for Leonard, sending a package headlined by Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick to Los Angeles.
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However, the deal has been on hold as the NBA continues its investigation into Leonard and the Clippers.
In a statement to ESPN, the Clippers said at the time that the trade, "can only be finalized if the Raptors' ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi's contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation."
In response, the Raptors stated that they "remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans."
The NBA's preseason will begin on Oct. 3 with the Raptors taking on the Miami Heat.
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: August 8, 2026 at 07:27AM on Source: MORNING MAG
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