Former Clippers star warns of team's uphill battle after brutal Kawhi Leonard salary cap punishment

The Los Angeles Clippers are in trouble.

The NBA ruled that the team circumvented salary cap rules with Kawhi Leonard, resulting in the forfeiture of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033, and owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from team activities for a year.

More often than not, especially considering the NBA Draft is only two rounds, those franchise-altering players are found in those first 30 picks. And for the Clippers, who missed the playoffs and traded away their best player in Leonard, it will be even tougher without potential lottery picks.

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Now, the team must think longer and harder when attempting to find a hidden "gem," said former Clipper Baron Davis.

"I think for the Clippers, the next five years are going to be super important around how they stay competitive, how they develop the young guys that they can get. And then it's really going to be a big burden placed on free agency and then also scouting, right? Where can you find a gem that you can't find in the draft? Where can you take a chance on someone who may not have performed as a high pick three years later and bring them in and develop them?" Davis told Fox News in a recent interview.

"So, it does put you somewhere behind the eight ball when it comes to getting better through the draft, finding that [Victor Wembanyama], AJ Dybantsa, [Kevin Durant], right? LeBron [James], like getting those picks. And so, what the Clippers must do is figure out which direction - and I think over the next two years, we'll start seeing which direction they want to go, as far as do they want to get young and take chances, or are they good enough now to really just rely on free agency to put them back into playoff contention?"

Given the situation, it might be a safe bet to bet against the Clippers over the next few seasons, which is always one way for fans to stay tuned into the action. That’s why Davis has recently partnered with Fanatics, whose sportsbook is offering its Fair Play pledge for injury protection and $1 million in FanCash.

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"For a lot of fans who feel like they have a certain expertise or a certain feeling about a player or a team, now you can actually place your bet, right, and place your wager and be a part of a jackpot or be a part of a transactional bet that rewards you for your expertise," Davis said.

"We live in a time now where basketball — sports in general, but specifically basketball — is on a global stage, and that means so many people have access to our game and are watching our game. And so it gives the fans an opportunity to really just gamify their participation while watching as well."

The fan experience, though, will still be tough to top the New York City celebrations from this past summer, when the New York Knicks brought home their first title since 1973. Davis’ time with the Knicks was short, but he knew what type of magic could occur in the Big Apple.

"I knew what the Knicks brand was about because I was next to Jeremy Lin during Linsanity, and so that was really a snapshot of what could potentially happen," Davis said.

"When you look at New York, it's an international market, right? There's a diverse community of people that are well represented, and culture is well represented and respected in New York. And so when you get a run like that in a city like that, it unites people from all walks of life, and it just shows you the power of sports and what sports can do for a city."