The Lakers and Clippers are preparing to meet for the first time since Kawhi Leonard spurned the former to join the latter, and it’s pretty clear that the Lakers are still not pleased by how the saga played out.
There was definitely some suspicion at play, too, but the depth of that suspicion is laid bare in a new piece by Sam Amick of The Athletic. According to Amick, the Clippers were the subject of an NBA investigation after complaints surfaced that Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle, asked teams for improper and illegal benefits during the free agent process.
According to Amick, Robertson’s demands included part ownership of the team, a house, a private plane on constant stand-by, and guaranteed endorsement money. All of those perks would be illegal under the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The Clippers were cleared of wrongdoing. The Lakers were also given that list of demands from Robertson, but owner Jeanie Buss correctly deemed them illegal and refused to offer them. Those discussions, however, helped fuel a growing sense that the Lakers were being used for leverage, and there remains deep frustration among some with the organization at how the process played out.
We did know that the league was looking into allegations of salary cap circumvention, but this is the first time we’ve heard that it specifically centered on the Clippers. We also hadn’t heard about the precise nature of Robertson’s absurd list of demands. What is clear is that the process ended up working out for the Clippers, but left a bad taste in the mouths of the Lakers, which should only serve to fuel the rivalry.
