Draymond Green believes the NBA should reconsider its salary-cap system as the league investigates alleged cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors veteran argued that if violations result in only minor consequences, other teams and players would have little reason not to pursue similar arrangements.
“If the punishments aren’t steep, everybody should do it,” Green said. “If it’s just gonna be a slap on the wrist, then everybody should do it, and every player should be trying to do it.”
Green then suggested an even bigger change.
“Let the punishment be getting rid of the salary cap,” he said.
His comments come as the NBA examines sponsorship arrangements involving Leonard and whether they represented compensation outside his Clippers contract.
Green’s broader argument focuses on restrictions placed on player earnings while NBA franchise values continue to rise.
The Lakers’ recent record $12.5 billion sale has added further attention to that debate.
However, eliminating the salary cap could create other problems.
Wealthier franchises could gain a significant advantage in signing multiple stars, potentially increasing the gap between large- and small-market teams.
Green nevertheless believes the Leonard investigation should force the NBA to examine its financial structure.
If the league ultimately determines that salary-cap rules were broken, significant penalties could also discourage teams from treating circumvention as simply another business expense.
Draymond Green suggests dangerous precedent in Kawhi Leonard, Clippers scandal https://t.co/gdLJ42qFZ8 pic.twitter.com/0lyHTuI1Uu
— New York Post (@nypost) August 13, 2026
