Kawhi Leonard and Uncle Dennis banished the Los Angeles Clippers into the shadow realm. On Wednesday, the NBA ruled that the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the NBA’s salary cap, paying Leonard under the table.
As a result, Ballmer has been fined $30 million. For him, that’s pocket change, so the NBA also made sure to strip the Clippers of five first-round draft picks.
With Leonard unofficially traded to the Toronto Raptors, the Clippers have no star, no way to win games, and no prize at the end of the tunnel. Unlike every other suffering franchise, LA can’t delude itself into thinking that they will land some top draft picks.
In short, there’s really no reason to watch Clippers’ basketball. Has there ever been?
If Leonard is indeed traded to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and some draft capital, then the Spurs should be quick to take advantage of the Clippers while they’re down.
Spurs Lowball Desperate Clippers in NBA Mock Trade
All offseason, the Spurs have been urged to trade away De’Aaron Fox. The problem is, though, that there aren’t any takers.
Any team with playoff hopes wouldn’t want someone who just mucked up the NBA Finals, and most of them have a starting point guard, anyway. Any rebuilding team wouldn’t want to attach themselves to the four seasons left on his contract.
For now, Fox is stuck in San Antonio.
That is, unless the Spurs could find a team desperate to take on any positive assets whatsoever, and with zero regard for their long-term future. Enter the Clippers.
The Spurs could send De’Aaron Fox, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Clippers for Brandon Ingram.
The Clippers are now desperate for any sort of draft capital, and two second-round picks at least give them the hope that they can stumble upon the next Manu Ginobili. Fox and Darius Garland probably won’t coexist very well, but for LA, that doesn’t really matter.
The Spurs, meanwhile, continue to upgrade their wing core. Ingram would immediately be the best wing on the roster. Fans are attached to Devin Vassell, and the team just added Tobias Harris, but Ingram is a two-time All-Star. Over the last four seasons, he’s been injury-prone, but has averaged 22.1 points on 37.5 percent shooting from deep.
Either Vassell or Harris would have to move to the bench.
Ingram has a $41.9 million player option in 2027-28, but after that, the Spurs would be able to cut ties with him, opening up the financial flexibility to extend both Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper long-term.
In the meantime, they get an established wing to pair next to Victor Wembanyama. Adding Ingram would force Vassell and Julian Champagnie into smaller roles, which would only make them cheaper once they’re eligible for extensions.
In the short term, the Spurs would upgrade their roster. In the long term, they’d be able to keep the core together. For the Clippers, adding two second-rounders is a small prize, but for a desperate team, it might be enough.
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