Kenny Smith believes the NBA was justified in severely punishing the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing salary-cap rules.
“You’re gonna have to suffer consequences for that kind of behavior,” Smith told TMZ Sports.
“You’re vehemently cheating. You’re not just toeing the line. You’re actually cheating and you’re cheating at a high level. You’re circumventing the salary cap.
“You’re giving yourself an unfair advantage that no one else has, and you have to have severe penalties for that or other people will say, ‘Well we can do it.’”
The Clippers lost five first-round draft picks, received a $30 million fine, and owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for the season. Smith believes the loss of draft capital could damage the organization for years.
“It’s gonna cripple their franchise possibly for the next five to seven years,” Smith said, adding, “You take away five years of draft picks, that’s your core of how you develop your team. So yeah, it’s definitely tough.”
Kawhi Leonard received a lighter punishment, with a $700,000 fine and no suspension, while Smith suggested there was a reason the NBA decided against hitting the star more severely.
