Kawhi Leonard is not moving on just yet from the heartbreaking loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The seven-time All-Star Leonard has an interesting summer ahead, as he’s eligible to sign a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Clippers after the NBA Finals, but he’s not even thinking about it.
“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” Leonard responded when asked about his future with LA during the postgame press conference following the Clippers’ season-ending 126-121 loss to the Warriors at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
“We’ll have our discussions when that time comes,” added Leonard, who struggled to deliver for the Clippers when they needed him the most against the Warriors. Leonard finished the game with 21 points on 8/17 shooting, but he had a nightmarish fourth quarter, in which he went scoreless until the final 16 seconds.
Warriors forward Draymond Green put up a defensive masterclass to take Leonard out of the equation of the Clippers’ offense in the last period, as Stephen Curry and Al Horford led Golden State’s comeback bid.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner still has a year left on his current contract with the Clippers, who can offer Leonard a maximum of $126.1 million through two seasons via extension.
The Clippers will still have to decide as well whether they want to commit such a hefty contract to an aging and injury-prone superstar.
Either way, Leonard and the Clippers are off to an early vacation after failing to qualify for the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2022.
