Kawhi Leonard Investigation Continues to Hurt the Clippers Ahead of Crucial Offseason

An offseason full of important decisions awaits the Los Angeles Clippers. The NBA Draft, where the Clippers have the No. 5 pick, is only two weeks away. LA has to decide on a direction for the franchise, which will influence their choice on draft day and about Kawhi Leonard's future.

However, the NBA's investigation into the Clippers' dealings with Leonard and Aspiration is complicating matters. The law firm hired by the league continues to look into the cap circumvention allegation. Once that concludes, commissioner Adam Silver will announce the consequences for Leonard, Steve Ballmer, and the Clippers as an organization.

The longer this process takes, the worse it is for the Clippers. Even if LA, Ballmer, and Leonard are all punished, it is better than the current uncertainty. The Clippers' hands are currently tied before the offseason until they hear from the league.

Clippers Are Reportedly Getting Frustrated With League Investigation

ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported on Friday that the Clippers officials "have grown frustrated trying to prove innocence for a violation they say they didn't commit." More importantly, Holmes noted that even though the Clippers are adamant about their innocence, the team officials are "less sure about the outcome of the high-profile investigation."

This is a big problem. If the Clippers' top brass doesn't know whether they will have Leonard on the roster and if they will have the ability to extend him, that affects every other decision they have to make this summer. Voiding of Leonard's contract remains a possibility depending on the resolution of the investigation.

One of the potential consequences of the investigation is related to the Clippers' draft picks. If the league takes away LA's future draft capital, then the Clippers will not have the ability to upgrade the roster. Leonard will also be less likely to stay on a team without a way to improve in the future.

If the Clippers go all-in in the offseason to try to build a contender around Leonard and then the league voids Leonard's contract before the season, then LA will be left in a very difficult spot. If the Clippers choose to rebuild and trade Leonard away, there would still be a possibility that the league takes away their future draft picks, significantly hurting their rebuild.

Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Adam Silver said that the investigation needs to conclude soon because the Clippers and the rest of the league "need to understand what situation they are going to be operating under. Yet, he refused to provide a timeline.

Unless the investigation concludes over the next two weeks, the Clippers have to make crucial offseason decisions amid significant uncertainty. This will prevent them from making optimal decisions for the future of the franchise. Even before the current NBA season is over, it has been made clear that the Clippers are headed to a frustrating offseason.

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