NBA Swing: Could a Kawhi Cap-Circumvention Punishment Set Free Agency 2026 Ablaze?

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Going back to the very beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season, scandals dominated the headlines. While the betting scandal was the first scandal to dominate the headlines, the bigger scandal would be the accusations of circumvention of the salary cap by the Los Angeles Clippers and star Kawhi Leonard. Following an investigation from journalist Pablo Torre, there have been little to no updates on the situation from Kawhi, the Clippers, or the NBA itself.

With the 2026 NBA All-Star weekend taking place at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome and Leonard being named an All-Star, many expected a punishment to come down following the All-Star break. With the season now in the post-All-Star break stretch, many across the league are expecting a punishment to come down, and insiders believe the punishment could come down on Leonard himself.

Per Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard:

“A lot of rumors of the Clippers thing are about to come down. I heard it’s gonna be Kawhi-centric… The. rumors I’ve heardares that it’s gonna be less about the Clippers and more about what’s gonna happen to Kawhi’s contract.”

While this is currently speculation, no punishment has been handed down on the league. Leonard’s contract potentially being voided would be one of the harshest player punishments the league has seen in a long time. Currently in the second year of a three-year, $149.5 million contract extension, Leonard is set to make $100.3 million this season and next season before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2026. Turning 36 by the end of the contract and having a long history of injuries, it may be the last time Leonard has a max contract.

If Leonard were to have his contract voided heading into the summer of 2026, he would instantly shake up free agency as he would become one of, if not the biggest, free agents in the summer of 2026. Notable 2026 free agents include:

LeBron James
C.J. McCollum
Kristaps Porzingis
Norman Powell
Coby White

With LeBron James likely to remain in Los Angeles with the Lakers or head back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Leonard would instantly stand out as the biggest free agent in the summer of 2026.

Despite no action being taken against Kawhi’s contract at this point, there are already several teams rumored to be interested in the two-time champion. With teams even calling about Leonard before the 2026 trade deadline, the uncertainty of Kawhi’s future had sparked interest across the league. Speaking on if Leonard were to become a free agent via his contract being voided, NBA insider Tom Haberstroh believes several notable championship-level teams could be interested in Leonard.

“I think if Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you’re going to see a frenzy for his services with the likes of the Lakers, with the likes of the Golden State Warriors, or the New York Knicks.”

Another team that has been rumored to be interested in Leonard is the Milwaukee Bucks. As of February 27th, none of the four teams mentioned could sign Leonard to finish the season if his contract were voided in-season. Both the Warriors and Lakers could only offer a veteran’s minimum contract as they are hard capped at the first apron of the salary cap, while the Knicks and Bucks are hard capped at the second apron.

The summer, however, is a different story. The Warriors and Lakers will both have open cap space this summer as both teams have expiring contracts. The biggest contract expiring for the Warriors would be Kristaps Porzingis, while they have multiple expiring deals, including LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard, amongst others. For a Lakers team that may see LeBron leave in the summer, Kawhi Leonard would be a great player to take that spot, as he’s one of the best two-way wing players in the league. The Lakers would also be more beneficial to Kawhi staying home in Los Angeles.

The New York Knicks may be one of the more unlikely teams to sign Kawhi if he were to become a free agent, as they are locked into the second apron of the salary cap through the 2027-28 season. The Bucks, like the Warriors and Lakers, are expected to open more cap space next season. Rumors have suggested Giannis himself has said he would like to play with Leonard, but with those same rumors also suggesting Leonard would like to remain on the west coast if something were to happen, it’s unlikely the Bucks or any Eastern Conference team could be in contention for Leonard.

With the season entering its final stretch of games, many believe that it is only a matter of time before the NBA hands down a punishment on Kawhi Leonard or the Los Angeles Clippers for the alleged circumvention of the NBA salary cap. With the Leonard-Clippers situation being the first exposed instance of cap circumvention in several decades, it is expected the punishment handed down will be used as a warning to prevent another potential situation like this from happening again.