The biggest storyline for the Los Angeles Clippers in recent weeks has been the scandal surrounding star Kawhi Leonard and the no-show deal he may or may not have taken to help the team sidestep the NBA salary cap. The story was first broken by sports reporter Pablo Torre, and the league has since announced its own investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are busy trying to prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign after a busy offseason of roster-building, and they also face the prospect of hosting the 2026 All-Star game amid the scandal.
Some have wondered whether or not the investigation could impact the team's ability to host the event, but recently, league commissioner Adam Silver ended that speculation.
“NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Monday there is ‘no contemplation' of moving the All-Star Game out of the Los Angeles Clippers’ home arena as it investigates whether the team circumvented salary cap rules in regards to Kawhi Leonard,” reported Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press.
“There’s no contemplation of moving the All-Star Game,” Silver said,”and planning for the All-Star Game and the surrounding activities are operating completely independently of the ongoing investigation.”
An interesting time for the Clippers
Meanwhile, on the basketball court, the Clippers will trot out what would be the oldest lineup in the NBA were it not for the existence of the Golden State Warriors.
Leonard and James Harden have been surrounded with solid supporting cast pieces like Ivica Zubac, John Collins, and others, along with a solid bench, which they hope will vault them back into contender status in the vaunted Western Conference.
As is usually the case with the Clippers, health will be the biggest question mark. Leonard was able to stay relatively healthy by his standards last season, but it still didn't matter, as Los Angeles was escorted out of the first round by the Denver Nuggets in seven games.
In any case, the Clippers are set to kick off their 2025-26 season with a road game against the Utah Jazz on October 22.
