Stephen A. Smith demands severe punishment for Kawhi Leonard, Clippers if allegations are true

The Los Angeles Clippers, along with Kawhi Leonard, are under investigation by the NBA regarding an alleged past corporate sponsorship deal that circumvented the salary cap. While the conclusion of the situation is yet to be determined, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is already thinking about what kind of punishments should be enacted if the allegations come true.

In the latest episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” the popular sports analyst declared that if the NBA finds any wrongdoing in the investigation, the league should deliver several punishments, including voiding Leonard’s contract, banning the 35-year-old forward from playing next season, stripping the Clippers of future draft picks, and banning owner Steve Ballmer from attending home games.

“Bottom line is this. If this is true… If you’re the NBA, you vaporize the contract of Kawhi Leonard. And in the same breath, not only do you do that, but you suspend him,” Smith said. “You suspend him, and you don’t allow him to play for the next year. You confiscate draft picks from the Clippers, but you also suspend Steve Ballmer from appearing at games.”

Stephen A. Smith says the NBA needs to NUKE Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers if the cap circumvention allegations are true:

– Void Kawhi’s contract
– Ban Kawhi from playing next season
– Strip draft picks from the Clippers
– Ban Steve Ballmer from attending games https://t.co/EYBGciG2MK pic.twitter.com/laWQzMCuQX

— NBABase (@TheNBABase) August 7, 2026

Los Angeles technically traded the 14-year veteran to the Toronto Raptors this offseason. However, that deal is on hold for now while the NBA investigates the allegations against Leonard and the Clippers franchise. For now, there is no official timetable for when the league will announce its findings in the investigation.

Kawhi Leonard is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year finished the 2025-26 campaign averaging 27.9 points (career-high), 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the three-point line.

The post Stephen A. Smith demands severe punishment for Kawhi Leonard, Clippers if allegations are true appeared first on ClutchPoints.