The NBA has begun investigating the Los Angeles Clippers for alleged salary-cap circumvention in the wake of an explosive report from Pablo Torre about a $28 million "no-show" endorsement deal between star forward Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental company. If the league concludes that the Clippers did knowingly conclude with Aspiration to circumvent the salary cap, the penalties could include voiding Leonard's contract.
Leonard is currently under contract for $50.0 million this season and $50.3 million in 2026-27. If the NBA winds up voiding Leonard's deal at some point this year, it would be a total chaos grenade, as the Brooklyn Nets are the only team with salary-cap space at the moment.
A handful of teams have yet to spend their $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, their $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception or their $5.1 million bi-annual exception. However, no team could come close to matching the $50 million that Leonard is currently earning without pulling off a major salary dump.
So, where could Leonard land? Assuming he isn't eligible to re-sign with the Clippers and would want more than a veteran-minimum deal, we've ranked possible landing spots from the most terrifying to the most hilarious.
One note before we jump in: Teams get hard-capped at the first apron if they use their non-taxpayer MLE and get hard-capped at the second apron if they use their taxpayer MLE. So, the teams we've highlighted here still have access to either their MLE or their bi-annual exception, but we've kept their proximity to the aprons in mind.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The reigning champions are nearly $8.6 million under the first apron and have yet to spend their non-taxpayer MLE. They already have 15 players on standard, fully guaranteed contracts, so they'd have to clear a roster spot for Leonard, but that would give them access to even more of their MLE.
The Thunder would be one of the few teams where Leonard wouldn't automatically be the best player on the roster. Pairing him with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and OKC's depth would be nightmare fuel for the rest of the league.
2. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are only $2.8 million under the first apron, although they have also yet to touch their non-taxpayer MLE. They'd have to clear more salary before they were able to offer Leonard much more than a minimum contract, but they'd have far more incentive to salary-dump Zeke Nnaji ($8.2 million) if it allowed them to sign Leonard.
The Nuggets effectively swapped out Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson this offseason and also have Aaron Gordon at forward. A starting lineup of Leonard, Johnson, Gordon, Jamal Murray and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić would be the best in the NBA by far.
Throw in Christian Braun, Bruce Brown Jr., Jonas Valančiūnas and Tim Hardaway Jr. off the bench, and the Nuggets would immediately become the clear title favorites.
3. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have been stuck in limbo all offseason thanks to their restricted free agency standoff with Jonathan Kuminga. They're currently $25.0 million below the first apron and nearly $37 million below the second apron, although Kuminga will gobble up nearly all of their flexibility below the first apron if he signs the two-year, $45 million contract that they've offered him.
If Kuminga instead takes his $7.9 million qualifying offer, the Warriors would be around $17 million below the first apron with only 10 players under contract. Salary-dumping Buddy Hield ($9.2 million) could put them in play to sign Leonard with their non-taxpayer MLE and round out the rest of their roster with minimum contracts.
The Warriors would have a loaded Big Four with Leonard, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, although their lack of depth could hold them back compared to the Thunder or Nuggets.
4. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks loaded up this offseason by adding Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard, but they're still $11.5 million below the first apron. The problem is that they spent $11 million of their non-taxpayer MLE to land Kennard, so the most they could realistically offer Leonard is the $5.1 million bi-annual exception.
While the Hawks can't outbid other teams, they do have one thing working in their advantage relative to OKC, Denver and Golden State: They're in the depleted Eastern Conference rather than the cutthroat West. Adding Leonard to a roster with Porziņģis, Trae Young and Jalen Johnson could transform the Hawks from Your Favorite Podcaster's Favorite Chic Pick to the favorite to come out of the East this year.
5. Miami Heat
The Heat have yet to touch their non-taxpayer MLE, and team president Pat Riley's lust for stars is among the worst-kept secrets in the NBA. They're only $7.4 million under the first apron for now, but Riley might veer fully into "f--k them picks" mode if the Heat were a Terry Rozier or Simone Fontecchio salary-dump away from landing Leonard.
We already saw Jimmy Butler drag this core to two NBA Finals appearances in the past five years, and that was before they added Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell. Especially given the current state of the East, a Big Three of Leonard, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro with Powell, Wiggins and Mitchell flanking them would be on the short list of contenders to represent the conference in this year's NBA Finals.
6. Philadelphia 76ers
We're now veering into hilarious territory. Imagine if the Clippers gave up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five future first-round picks to land Leonard and Paul George, only for both of them to land on the Sixers a few years later.
The Sixers are only $10.0 million under the first apron, and they have yet to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, so they might be limited to offering Leonard the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE. But for the four games per season that Leonard, George and Joel Embiid were all healthy, that trio would be terrifying alongside the Sixers' young backcourt of Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe.
7. Brooklyn Nets
If Leonard did knowingly circumvent the salary cap, would there be any more fitting punishment than making him waste a year of his career by babysitting a bunch of rookies on a rebuilding Nets team?
The Nets are the only team that could offer Leonard north of $20 million, which would be a major point in their favor if he prioritizes financial considerations above all else. But seeing Leonard, Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas jostle for shots and touches on a bottom-feeder would be pure hilarity.
8. Los Angeles Lakers
Leonard landing on the Nets might be the most fitting punishment for him from a karmic standpoint, but Leonard landing on the crosstown Lakers would be the most fitting punishment for Ballmer and the Clippers. Remember the "L.A. Our Way" billboards? Welp!
The Lakers are only $1.1 million under the first apron and are already hard-capped after splitting their non-taxpayer MLE on Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. They do still have their bi-annual exception, but they'd have to dump at least $4 million in salary before they were able to spend it on Leonard. Luckily, salary-dumping any of Jarred Vanderbilt ($11.6 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11.0 million) would more than do the trick.
A Big Three of Leonard, LeBron James and Luka Dončić would be legitimately terrifying, so from that standpoint, the Lakers deserve to rank far higher here. But nothing would be more hilarious than this outcome, which is why the Lakers round out our rankings.