Kawhi Leonard Makes First Remarks After NBA's Cap Circumvention Punishment

After a year of waiting, uncertainty, and investigation, the cap circumvention saga is over. Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome the Los Angeles Clippers wanted. The organization has been dealt a hefty punishment, the most notable of them all being the forfeiture of five first-round draft picks. This makes the future of the Clippers a bleak one.

How the Clippers respond to this punishment remains to be seen, but Kawhi wasted no time before issuing a statement of his own.

Kawhi Leonard Denies Knowledge of Cap Circumvention Intent

Through his new agent, Harrison Gaines, Leonard took responsibility for his "lapses in judgment by people within [his] inner circle." He added that he entered into his contract with the Clippers "in good faith" and "with no knowledge of any intent on anyone's part to circumvent the salary cap," per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Considering that we have no evidence of Leonard's knowledge of cap circumvention in his dealings with the team sponsors, this is a smart statement by the 35-year-old superstar. His former business representative and uncle, Dennis Robertson, was already fired by Leonard in June. So, Kawhi's statement suggesting that these improper dealings were made without his knowledge is consistent with his actions.

Kawhi is one of the more fortunate parties in this saga, as he has gotten away with a slap on the wrist. He has to pay $700,000 in "restitution for improper benefits by the Clippers." Whether he benefited more from these transactions is unclear, but he clearly ended up with one of the best-case scenarios.

Some were wondering whether Leonard would get suspended or if his contract would get voided. If he hadn't been traded away from the Clippers, perhaps that would have been a more realistic possibility. The league may not have wanted to screw over the Toronto Raptors. More importantly, they probably didn't want to deal with the National Basketball Players Association by punishing Leonard.

Leonard ended his remarks by saying how excited he is to go back to Toronto: "For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate."

Kawhi is leaving behind an utter mess and chaos in Los Angeles. As he steps into an exciting new chapter with the Raptors, where he will chase championships, the Clippers are entering an era of uncertainty and darkness.

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