The Sixers own a Clippers pick swap. Here’s why they will keep it.
The deal for 2029 will not be affected by historic punishments the NBA levied against the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap to sign Kawhi Leonard.
After an investigation that lasted nearly a year, the NBA brought the hammer down on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday for circumventing the salary cap to pay All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard.
In their findings, the NBA said the Clippers, in violation of league rules, facilitated payments and deals for Leonard with four different companies. The Clippers denied any wrongdoing in a strongly worded statement, saying they “vehemently reject” the league’s findings.
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The league handed down a number of punishments for individuals in the Clippers organization and for the team itself. Owners Steve Ballmer was suspended for a year and fined $30 million in part for “knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities.” President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month suspension and president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended a year. Leonard was not suspended and received a $700,000 fine.
The league is also taking away five first-round draft picks from the Clippers in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033. The 76ers still have some Clippers draft capital from the trade that sent James Harden to Los Angeles in 2023, but that will be unaffected by the league’s punishments, a source confirmed.
Reviewing the Harden trade
When the Sixers traded Harden in October 2023, they received, as part of a three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 2026 protected first-rounder from Oklahoma City (which they eventually traded), the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick and a 2029 top-three protected pick swap from the Clippers (along with 2024 and 2029 second-rounders from the Clippers).
The Clippers dealt that 2028 first-rounder in a convoluted pick swap to the Celtics in the Jaylen Brown trade, but they still owned that valuable 2029 pick swap.
How Wednesday’s news relates to the Sixers
On paper, it could appear as though the league was taking away the 2029 Clippers pick the Sixers had the right to swap.
But a league source confirmed a report from PhillyVoice that said the NBA was taking away a first-round pick the Pacers owe the Clippers from the Ivica Zubac trade and was not touching the Clippers’ own pick, meaning the Sixers’ right to swap that pick remains intact.
The value of that pick swap
Wednesday’s news would seem to bolster the immediate value of that swap. Even while the pick is top-three protected, the Clippers could be in a tough spot as a franchise for the next few years as they attempt to rebuild in the post-Leonard era. It will still be a valuable trade chip they can dangle this season and beyond to make more roster moves. There’s also the fact that the NBA has moved to address tanking by flattening lottery odds for teams that miss the playoffs and play-in tournament.
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Leonard coming East again
One effect of the league’s ruling is how it shapes a pending trade the Clippers had with the Toronto Raptors to send Leonard back there, where he won a championship in 2019. By giving Leonard a comparative slap on the wrist with the fine, and by not suspending him or voiding his contract, the league seemingly has preserved the Clippers’ ability to deal Leonard eastward.
An ESPN report said the trade is on track to go through in the next few days. This will add to an already deep Eastern Conference that has plenty of potential contenders.
