Voiding Kawhi Leonard’s contract with the Los Angeles Clippers is not out of the realm of possibility for Adam Silver and the NBA. That was the notion NBA insider Sam Amick put forward during a recent appearance on The Athletic’s NBA Daily.

Amick said, “It was in no uncertain terms told to me that Adam sees salary cap circumvention as the cardinal sin of the NBA. … So, if they’re going to follow through on that energy, … voiding of a player contract is on the table.”

The insider thought if the NBA could prove that Kawhi was influenced to stay with the Clippers and sign team-friendly deals that allowed Los Angeles more flexibility that ‘cuts at the fabric of the league’ that Silver has tried to grow. It would be an opportunity for the NBA commissioner to show he has the ability to throw around an ‘iron fist’ much like his predecessor.

If Leonard’s contract were to be voided, and the desire to continue playing in 2025-26 existed after the dust settled, this is where the Los Angeles Lakers come in. It would offer Rob Pelinka a chance at a borderline superstar for pennies on the dollar.

Lakers getting perfect storm for free agency steal of a lifetime

At this point of the NBA offseason, no teams really have the financial wiggle room to give Leonard the type of contract the Clippers star would otherwise demand. That could play heavily in the favor of the Lakers.

Granted, in the scenario of Leonard hitting free agency, the Lakers would really need to ask themselves if the potential headache is worthwhile. Pablo Torre’s story of alleged wrongdoing certainly does not paint Kawhi in the most favorable light.

However, the Lakers have shown they are willing to run the gamble on risky situations as recently as this offseason. The signing of Deandre Ayton showed that much. The pursuit of Bradley Beal, who had plenty of attitude, injury, and defensive concerns, only reaffirms that.

At the end of the day, this is Kawhi. Getting a substantial discount on a two-time NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP is not something that just happens every offseason.

When Leonard finally pieced things together with his health towards the end of the 2024-25 season, the Clippers star looked elite once more.

Kawhi averaged 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from 3-point against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers would need a consolidation trade before pursuing the potential move. However, those are the type of hoops worth jumping through for a player of Kawhi’s quality.

Los Angeles is still home for Leonard. If the two-way star is forced to abandon the Clippers, the Lakers are the only other game in town.