As the world knows by now, the Clippers were found guilty of circumventing the salary cap and funneling millions to Kawhi Leonard. You would think that Los Angeles would have something to show for it in terms of playoff success, but nope, unless you count its one WCF appearance. It's fitting that the Kawhi era started with a loss to the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 bubble (what a time) and ended with a loss in his final postseason run (2025).
Los Angeles helped Leonard get millions of dollars under the table and was punished harshly, with the biggest penalty being the loss of five first-round picks. The Clippers couldn't get past the Nuggets, not even by cheating.
How good is that?
Nuggets beat the Clippers twice in the playoffs
Well, it's not so good for teams like the Mavericks (whom the Clippers also beat in 2020 before advancing to play the Nuggets in the semifinals) and the Jazz. Los Angeles beat both in 2021 in its run to the conference finals, the furthest it made it with Leonard.
What's done is done, but Dallas and Utah might be feeling a little burnt right now. The Jazz especially, as if they had advanced to the conference finals in 2021, perhaps they would've made it past the Suns to the NBA Finals. Maybe Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell's time with the organization would've ended differently, as they were traded the following year.
Denver doesn't have to sit and think about what might've been.
Even better, the Nuggets won a title during Leonard's time in Los Angeles, and Paul George was on the team then, before he signed with the Clippers in 2024. Remember, the Clippers traded for George in 2019 at Kawhi's request, dealing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks. Again, the whole point was to... win a championship.
Los Angeles ultimately got what it deserved in a list of penalties. However, Denver unknowingly helped deliver justice well before the ruling dropped (and before Pablo Torre first shed light on what was going on) by eliminating the Clippers twice in the postseason.
Steve Ballmer won't have to fly out Clippers fans to an opposing arena for a Game 7 in the playoffs again, though what a fun trip that was. It'll be a long time before Los Angeles makes it back to that point. He'll have plenty of time to dwell on that as he serves his one-year suspension.
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