It hasn’t been the smoothest offseason for the Golden State Warriors with their lingering Jonathan Kuminga drama. Nevertheless, they can at least say they don’t have the same problems that their rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, have this summer.
The Clippers are under investigation for alleged salary cap circumvention due to having paid star Kawhi Leonard up to $50 million off the books. If proven true, then they could be in for a world of hurt. Warriors fans love to see it.
While fans likely are at their wits’ end due to the ever-changing news involving Kuminga, they can at least say that Golden State isn’t at risk of losing everything. The Clippers could be stripped of all of their remaining first-round picks, up to five picks.
If that happens, then they might not have a pick for the next eight years. Then there’s what could happen with Leonard.
The Golden State Warriors can’t help but laugh at the Clippers
The Clippers literally risked everything to bring Leonard in and have only a trip to the Western Conference Finals to show for it. Compare that to the Warriors, who have four championships and six trips to the NBA Finals in the last 10 years.
The Clippers haven’t had anywhere near that level of success over their 55-year history. They’ve arguably been the worst team in NBA history, and yet they are somehow just now flirting with hitting rock bottom.
It’s even possible that the team they built around Leonard could be at risk if the league opts to void his contract. That would be the icing on the cake for Golden State, who would love to land Leonard if that were to happen.
The Warriors could benefit from the Clippers’ misfortune
The Warriors wouldn’t be alone in hoping that Leonard becomes available during the season. If he does, then he could potentially sign with Golden State, which is about four hours away from Los Angeles.
They likely couldn’t keep him in the long term. Nevertheless, bringing him in on a one-year deal and pairing him with Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green could give them the perfect opportunity to win yet another championship in the Clippers’ faces. Still, a lot of moving parts would have to happen for that to become a reality.
First, the league would have to find wrongdoing that would rise to the level of voiding Leonard’s contract. Second, the Warriors would have to beat out the other teams hoping to land Leonard next season to make it worthwhile.
In that scenario, the Warriors would potentially have less than half a season with Leonard to make it work. However, that would be a good problem if they somehow got their hands on Leonard.
Ultimately, the Clippers’ misfortunes likely put things in perspective for the Warriors and their fans. The Warriors are still trying to sort out the Kuminga standoff, but they are in an infinitely better situation than the Clippers currently find themselves in.
