Kawhi Leonard is actually doing the Spurs a pretty solid favor

As we all know by now, the Clippers got gutted by the NBA. This wasn't just a slap on the wrist for the Lakers' little brother; it was very close to what's referred to as "the death penalty" in college sports. Five first-round draft picks stripped through 2033. A front office and ownership group hit with suspensions. And a roster that, even before any of that, wasn't exactly loaded with star talent.

LA can permanent marker themselves in for a bad year. They have no real means of getting better for a long, long time. That's a brutal outcome for Clips fans, but for Spurs Nation? Let's just say, I'm not going to pretend to be torn up about what it means for the field over the next few seasons.

The West will be just a little clearer for the Spurs to reign

I recently wrote about the growing gap in the West's talent compared to the East, and this is basically that piece playing out in real time. The Clippers were never the scariest team in the conference, but they were a real, motivated, deep-pocketed threat with an owner in Steve Ballmer, who has made no secret of how badly he wants to win for that franchise.

With few assets in either players or draft picks, that version of LA is gone for the foreseeable future. You can't build without a strong foundation, and I'm not seeing one in the Intuit Dome.

Every year a team like that spends rebuilding is another year the ceiling on the West stays a tad bit lower. That matters a lot right now, because the Spurs aren't the ones trying to rise from the dirt anymore. They're trying to maintain their spot at the top of the conference, reaching for the league's peak.

Victor Wembanyama is entering the stretch of his career where the timeline actually starts to matter. Fewer obstacles between here and the Larry O'Brien Trophy is exactly what a young, ascending team needs, and Kawhi just removed one without San Antonio lifting a finger.

This is Kawhi's last gift to the San Antonio Spurs

Let's be honest about the irony here. Klaw forced his way out of Alamo City, and years later, his crushing of another organization benefits his old ball club. It's not on purpose, but it's still the reality. The guy who once bailed on the Spurs is now the reason his new soon-to-be ex can't build a real roster to compete anymore.

SA, on the other hand, is ready to battle the best for the next decade. With patience and discipline, they rebuilt what Leonard tore down and landed a generational talent because of it. Their draft capital is stocked, and the player depth is insane. The Spurs keep betting on their process because it keeps working.

While I feel bad for the Clippers' fans, it's hard not to enjoy the larger ramifications. After years of irrelevance, the San Antonio is reclaiming their prestigious status as one of the league's biggest and most consistent threats, and it's happening while another Western foe has their title window locked and shuttered.

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