Danilo Gallinari Drops Major $50 Million Demand on Kawhi Leonard Amid Heated Dispute
Danilo Gallinari has sharply criticized Kawhi Leonard over his $700,000 NBA fine, saying Leonard should pay $50 million and blaming him for changing his career path.
Danilo Gallinari has brought his old Clippers frustration back into the spotlight, this time with Kawhi Leonard at the center of his criticism. Gallinari says Leonard should pay the full $50 million instead of accepting the NBA's $700,000 fine tied to the Clippers' salary-cap case. He made the comments on the Italian podcast A Cresta Alta, which he hosts with his brother Federico. The former NBA forward also connected the issue to his 2019 move from Los Angeles, saying Leonard's decisions changed the direction of his career.
Gallinari did not stop at the size of the fine. He said Leonard should give the money to charity and argued that the NBA star played a direct role in sending him away from Los Angeles. His comments came after the NBA fined Leonard $700,000 while handing the Clippers a $30 million fine and taking away five first-round picks.
Danilo Gallinari Blames Kawhi Leonard For Changing His NBA Career
Gallinari's strongest words came when he explained why the old Clippers trade still bothers him. “He changed the trajectory of my career and put me in a difficult situation by sending me away from Los Angeles,” Gallinari said. He added that his career path was changed by a player, rather than a general manager or owner.
The 2019 move happened after Leonard joined the Clippers and the team traded for Paul George. Gallinari was sent to Oklahoma City as part of the deal, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and draft picks. Gallinari later averaged 18.7 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Thunder, while SGA developed into an NBA superstar.
Gallinari also made clear that he does not blame Shai for what happened. He said both players eventually took “wonderful paths,” but still believes his own NBA journey was changed by Leonard's demands. That brings the story back to the bigger issue: how much power stars can have when they decide where they want to play.
Kawhi Leonard's $700,000 Fine Brings The 2019 Story Back
The timing of Gallinari's comments matters. The NBA's investigation found that the Clippers helped create off-court income opportunities for Leonard through companies including Aspiration, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance. The league said the team also paid personal expenses for Leonard and his representatives.
The NBA fined Leonard $700,000, while the Clippers lost five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and paid $30 million. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, while other Clippers executives also received suspensions. Robertson, Leonard's uncle and former business manager, received a five-year NBA ban.
Leonard's Clippers chapter has now also ended. The team agreed to send him back to the Toronto Raptors in a deal involving Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, draft picks and other assets. That makes Gallinari's comments part of a much bigger story around Leonard's six-year Clippers run, which ended without an NBA championship.
Gallinari's complaint is personal, but it also points to one of the biggest NBA questions from the past few years. Leonard had the power to shape the Clippers roster in 2019, while the salary-cap case later brought another major controversy. For Gallinari, both moments now connect to a career path he believes could have looked very different.