The NBA revealed the findings of its investigation into alleged cap circumvention by the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. The fallout involves the Clippers being fined $30 million and losing five first-round picks, while Leonard heads to the Toronto Raptors and only has to pay a $700,000 fine.
Leonard’s fine is noticeably small for someone with his wealth, and it appears the NBA believes he was not a major player in this scandal. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that Leonard had no knowledge of the situation, with his Uncle Dennis allegedly being the one who helped orchestrate the scheme. That led to plenty of surprised reactions from the NBA world at large.
NBA World Shocked by Report of Kawhi Leonard Being in the Dark
Journalist Pablo Torre was the one who brought this story to the forefront and was quick to respond to Charania’s claim.
👀 https://t.co/lwzJJ9Tzwq pic.twitter.com/iSuFOADfVS
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) September 3, 2026
He quoted the report and included a look-alike emoji, along with a picture of a signed contract between Leonard and the company Aspiration, which is also allegedly involved in this scandal. The contract seems to suggest that Leonard did indeed know about everything.
Other users chimed in on the report, including one who said, “Imagine believing this.”
Imagine believing this. https://t.co/UoqCYD8y2i
— Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP) (@LTGetsPolitical) September 3, 2026
Reporter Anthony F. Irwin summed up how many fans feel when he wrote: “The way these people think we’re all complete idiots is just so infuriating.”
The evidence is out there and some fans may feel as if the NBA is trying to bury this story as quickly as possible.
One fan even joked that Leonard is comparable to Shohei Ohtani in this situation.
I can confirm. It was actually his Japanese translator that did all of it behind his back. Kawhi doesn’t even have access to his own banking information. Sad he was taken advantage of like this and forced to take extra money he didn’t work for.
— Big White Natural (@BigWhiteNatural) September 3, 2026
“I can confirm,” they wrote. “It was actually his Japanese translator that did all of it behind his back. Kawhi doesn’t even have access to his own banking information. Sad he was taken advantage of like this and forced to take extra money he didn’t work for.”
Charania was also targeted by fans, with one writing, “Shams has lost all credibility, simply a mouthpiece for the league, NOTHING he says should be taken seriously.”
However, others decided to defend the NBA insider.
I actually think there’s at least a slim chance this is true.
Imagine having so much money that you don’t even realize 10s of millions pouring in. https://t.co/Av0auUU0XO
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) September 3, 2026
“I actually think there’s at least a slim chance this is true,” Andy Bailey said. “Imagine having so much money that you don’t even realize 10s of millions pouring in.”
Yet the majority of the NBA world thinks Charania’s report and Leonard’s claim of ignorance are nothing more than a PR move.
Kawhi when he accidentally discovered extra tens of millions in his bank account https://t.co/jCk0EmQJYk pic.twitter.com/M4GyPPzWnf
— Dom2K (@Dom_2k) September 3, 2026
“Kawhi when he accidentally discovered extra tens of millions in his bank account,” one fan wrote, including a GIF of Drake acting shocked.
The NBA has reached a conclusion on this situation, but fans will continue to hold their own opinions on the matter, no matter what the league says.
