The NBA’s growth has been unstoppable, outshining MLB and the NFL while expanding its global reach, especially in Europe and China. With basketball now second only to soccer worldwide, revenue has soared, the average NBA team is valued at $4.66 billion, with the Warriors topping at $9.4 billion. Even small-market teams are thriving, as seen in the 2025 NBA Finals, where the Thunder and Pacers drew 16.4 million viewers in Game 7, the most since 2019. But with the Clippers-Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention saga unfolding, could this small-market momentum now be at risk?

The controversy exploded after Pablo Torre revealed leaked documents linking Kawhi Leonard, Steve Ballmer, and the Clippers to an alleged $28M salary cap circumvention scheme. Reports suggest Kawhi’s $176M 2021 extensio

See Full Page