Kawhi Leonard and salary cap circumvention are becoming an unlikely duo. Last year, Pablo Torre exposed the Aspiration controversy. Now, the investigative journalist has uncovered another explosive connection involving Daktronics. But here’s the thing…Draymond Green is looking at things differently.
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He said on The Draymond Green Show, “We’re hearing a lot about what the punishments are going to be. And I would say, if the punishments aren’t steep, everybody should do it. If it’s just going to be a slap on the wrist, then everybody should do it. And every player should be trying to do it.”
Green does not blame Leonard if these allegations are true. From his perspective, the 2-time NBA champ would simply be taking advantage of an opportunity to earn more money, especially within a system that limits players financially.
When everyone is pointing their finger towards Kawhi and the LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Draymond Green is pointing his fingers at the salary cap. “We’re playing in a league where our team just sold for $12.5 billion after being sold for $10 billion 14 months ago,” he mentioned the latest Lakers sale. ” And there’s a salary cap that caps the amount of earnings that the people who’s driving the success of the league can ultimately earn.”
If Kawhi Leonard truly received additional money outside his official salary, Draymond respects him for finding a way to maximize his earnings. In Green’s view, “Why is it that we’re strapped down by a salary cap? And not only are we strapped down by a salary cap, we’re actually strapped down by a higher salary cap now. And so I don’t quite understand.”
The NBA’s $164.961 million salary cap for the 2026-27 season can feel restrictive. Limiting how much teams can pay stars despite enormous league revenues. Players also face earning ceilings through team contracts. In that context, Kawhi Leonard’s alleged circumvention makes sense as a way to secure additional value beyond his capped salary.
However, the rules and regulations of the league do not permit this route. Several people linked to the Clippers and Intuit Dome project have reportedly pointed to an undisclosed connection between Kawhi Leonard and Daktronics.
The company supplied the arena’s Halo screen and other sports technology. Pablo Torre reported that Leonard promoted the brand as part of a deal. Meanwhile, one source claimed the arrangement paid millions of dollars. On the other hand, Daktronics responded to questions from Torre and co-investigator Sam Koppelman about its reported agreement with Leonard.
“My understanding is Daktronics doesn’t have a deal with Kawhi right now. I don’t know what the company wants to say, or can say, given the Wachtell investigation and all that,” the spokesperson said.
Last year, the LA Clippers were under the spotlight over Leonard’s $28 million agreement with Aspiration. Steve Ballmer then told everyone that the company’s co-founder Joe Sanberg deceived him. Then, Sanberg pleaded guilty to two wire fraud charges and received a 14-year prison sentence in June.
In late July, Pablo Torre reported that Leonard also held a minority stake in USL club Rhode Island FC. However, the team has little direct connection to the Clippers.
Well, Kawhi Leonard appears to have found ways around the NBA’s harsh salary cap. To be fair, Draymond Green does not see anything wrong in this. It could simply be because of the fact that at the end of the day, the league is earning through the players. Therefore, the players, too, deserve a bit more.