The Los Angeles Lakers are not one of the teams in the mix to land Peyton Watson via a sign-and-trade, but in a perfect world, they would be. The Clippers, however, are, but Kawhi Leonard may keep that from happening, a preferable outcome for the real LA team.
Last fall, the league launched an investigation into Leonard and the Clippers to determine whether his sponsorship deal with Aspiration was a way for the team to circumvent the salary cap. The investigation is still ongoing, and it has taken a new turn.
On Thursday evening, Pablo Torre revealed on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out," that Leonard also had a deal with Daktronics, which created the video board for Intuit Dome (and for several other NBA arenas). Leonard was reportedly a spokesperson for Daktronics, and as a source told Torre, the star made millions of dollars from the partnership. Allegedly, it was done to circumvent the salary cap.
There was already speculation that the investigation, conducted by an independent law firm, could extend into the start of the season.
The Clippers' Leonard trade with the Raptors is on hold, by Toronto's choice, until the investigation is concluded. If it drags on for a few more months (or if the allegations against the Clippers are proven true), that could work to their disadvantage if they're waiting to see how things shake out with Kawhi.
Kawhi Leonard could keep Clippers from landing Peyton Watson
In ESPN's latest piece about the top remaining free agents, Dave McMenamin confirmed the Clippers' continued interest in Watson. However, he added that it's "unclear" how the pending Kawhi trade would affect the team's pursuit of the wing. Torre's newest bombshell adds a whole new layer to that.
Watson has until Oct. 1 to accept his $6.5 million qualifying offer, and there may not be a Clippers resolution by then. That doesn't mean they can't agree to a sign-and-trade with the Nuggets before then, but it'd help them if Leonard's situation were sorted out first, as it's holding up their offseason.
McMenamin listed the Hawks, Bucks, and Cavaliers as the other "serious candidates" to get Watson, and, obviously, the Lakers would prefer he go to one of those three teams over the Clippers, or even staying with the Nuggets.
It's not like the Clippers are a thorn in the Lakers' side, but more about not having a constant Watson reminder across town. If he's going to return home and suit up for a team, it'd be only right for it to be in purple and gold. That's not a realistic dream at this point in the offseason, which is why it'd be best for him not to end up in Los Angeles at all. Maybe in the future, though.
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