On August 12, it was reported that Kawhi Leonard re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for four years worth 176.3 million dollars, which is the maximum allowed. The deal includes a player option in the fourth year.
This comes at a bit of a surprise for top sportsbooks as Leonard declined his player option for $36 million to become a free agent. When this was the case, many speculated that Kawhi would not return to Los Angeles and flip flop to another team in contention. But he decided to return to the Clippers last week and finalized a deal seven days later.
“Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day,” said Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, in a statement. “We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship. This agreement marks another important moment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a championship-caliber organization, where players find the success and fulfillment they seek. We’re eager to continue building with Kawhi.”
Still, Leonard won’t be starting the regular season for the Clippers thanks to a partially torn ACL that sidelined him from the playoffs, where the Clippers eventually lost to the Suns. His timetable is still unclear but it’ll be good to know he’ll be using the same doctors and training staff from when he got the injury until he’s healed up.
That’s got to give him some comfort there. It certainly seems like Leonard is enjoying his time with the Clippers. Leonard joined Paul George and Reggie Jackson for a couple of the Clippers’ Summer League games in Las Vegas. “For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his recovery from injury,” Frank said in the statement. “We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with his teammates.”
The Clippers not only re-signed Leonard but also brought back Jackson, Nicolas Batum, and Serge Ibaka, who opted into the second year of his deal. They also added Justise Winslow, who will help in Leonard’s place until he returns. Then Winslow will be a solid depth piece for the team. Leonard and George are now signed to long term deals and what’s funny is George made $190 million in December.
Both have player options for the 2024-2025 season so for now, the Clippers are set. They’ll be looking to win a title in that time frame but with all the moves the Lakers have made and the growth of the Jazz and Suns, it’s not going to be easy. The Clippers have a selling point where they can talk about their new arena coming to Inglewood, California around the 2024-2025 season. That could help to recruit some other players to their squad knowing what’s to come. Take it into consideration when choosing your NBA picks.
To be fair, Leonard and George played really well together in the playoffs. Leonard was averaging over 30 points per game and gaining 7.7 rebounds along with 4.4 assists while George averaged 26.9 points per game along with 9.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists. There’s potential with both of these players but George needs to stay consistent and Leonard needs to stay healthy. The biggest thing is Leonard will be back for the second half of the season and eventually the playoffs. That’ll be good for Leonard and we’ll see if the Clippers can get deeper in the playoffs despite all of these other teams improving on paper.
Leonard made the right choice to stick it out with Los Angeles. Where else would he fit? Let’s hope for a speedy recovery and then some competitive basketball in the West to boost the NBA odds.