Sports

Lakers can quietly enjoy latest Kawhi speculation that spells trouble for Clippers

Lake Show Life · Jul 21, 2026 18:30 · 3 min read

Lakers can quietly enjoy latest Kawhi speculation that spells trouble for Clippers — Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Kawhi Leonard | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Lakers aren't tied to the Kawhi Leonard saga, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the chaos the Clippers are dealing with.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote on Monday, one of the main topics of conversation at summer league was the investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. Luckily, it's something the Los Angeles Lakers have absolutely no need to worry about, since they didn't bow down to his reported demands in 2019 free agency. That doesn't mean it's not worth following, though, for however long it may go on, which actually could be longer than the involved parties want.

Hollinger noted that, considering the investigation by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is still in progress (and there is no timetable for when it will end), it could extend beyond the offseason (subscription required).

Remember, the investigation isn’t the end of the process as much as the beginning of the next process. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement specifies that a cap-circumvention case must be tried before a system arbitrator and then potentially go through an appeals process before any penalty can be handed down by the commissioner. Are we sure this is all getting done in two and a half months?

So, in other words, months after the Clippers agreed to trade Kawhi to the Raptors, he could still be on LA's roster once training camp starts.

It's already enough of a nightmare that the trade is on hold, but the Clippers not having clarity on their future direction by the time next season starts would be the cherry on top, at least for Lakers fans taking in the chaos. For the other LA team, not so much.

Clippers' future could be in limbo a lot longer than they'd like

Depending on the outcome of this mess, the Clippers' trade with the Raptors could fall through, as Toronto has made it clear it doesn't want to be penalized if the league finds wrongdoing on LA's part.

Now, if that happened, the question would be how the Clippers and Leonard would be punished, which could be a lot worse than a failed trade, as they could lose future draft picks, among other things.

One team in LA has its offseason on hold, while the other has already taken advantage of being ruled out of the LeBron James sweepstakes. The Lakers aren't waiting around in mid-to-late July wondering if the superstar will pick them, and they don't have to worry about the saga dragging on for a few more months, since they're not part of it.

The Clippers wish they could say the same, but with Kawhi. The other difference is that it could be a self-inflicted disaster if LA is found responsible for wrongdoing regarding cap circumvention.

They already struggle to get out of their own way, but this investigation not going their way could easily outweigh any of their past mishaps, and by a wide margin.

At least for the Lakers, they can sit back and enjoy it, not dreading being in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. That tends to be a spot that the Clippers like to be in, anyway.