Kawhi, Clippers
Scandal
Like the Clippers, the Timberwolves were hit with massive NBA penalties when Minnesota circumvented the salary cap to sign Joe Smith (far left) to one-year deals with hopes of adding long-term frontcourt help for Kevin Garnett (far right). Paul Buck / Getty Images
If any team knows how the LA Clippers feel after the NBA dropped the hammer for salary-cap circumvention, it is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves were embroiled in a similar scandal 27 years ago, when a legal dispute between two agents brought to light an under-the-table agreement Minnesota made with veteran forward Joe Smith. After an investigation, then-commissioner David Stern levied an enormous punishment: owner Glen Taylor and general manager Kevin McHale were suspended for a year, the team forfeited five first-round draft picks and was fined $3.5 million. Smith’s contract was also voided as part of the discipline.
