Nearly a year after the beans got spilled, the NBA has finally concluded its investigation and handed a scathing penalty to the Clippers for their surreptitious involvement in the contract Kawhi Leonard signed back in 2019. They got stripped off their draft picks for five years, but it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers –– owners of LA's first-round selection in 2029 –– will not be affected by the league's monumental punishment.
For the cap circumvention the Clippers were found to be guilty of, the NBA has taken away their first-round draft picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 –– a stunning penalty never seen before. However, the 76ers are still slated to keep the top-three protected 2029 first-round pick swap rights they received from them in the James Harden a few years back, and instead, LA will lose the first-rounder they received from the Indiana Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade.
The 76ers get important news after the NBA punishes the Clippers
The 76ers own the Clippers' first-round pick in 2028, which is unprotected. That is one of their most highly valued assets in their war chest. Their 2029 first-round pick swap with LA is not that far behind, especially since the latter is already angling toward committing to a full-blown rebuild in the near future, despite them posturing to the contrary this summer.
LA, which now bears the pain of a penalty pending expected appellate remedies, now finds itself in an unenviable spot. The franchise is, without a doubt, firmly stationed in a state of flux without a clear way out. They are in a jam-packed and brutal Western Conference where their playoff hopes are questionable. Now, they do not have any reason to bottom out given their lack of control over their draft picks.
This is obviously a huge development for the 76ers as well. After all, the front office gets to keep such a critical asset for their team-building in the near future while touting a great shot at winning the championship for the next year or two. That is a two-way luxury very few teams get to savor, and they have the Clippers to thank for bolstering their outlook.
Thankfully, the NBA exercised enough foresight to envision the complications of handing out a scatter-shot punishment involving their draft picks and ensuring that the 76ers' vested right over the Clippers' 2029 first-round draft pick subsists. Now, Philly can watch LA struggle and reap the benefits.
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