Kawhi Leonard might be going from one beachfront state to another.
The Miami Heat could potentially pursue the LA Clippers star Leonard this offseason, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Wednesday. Siegel notes that the Heat are expected to turn their attention to Leonard if they are unsuccessful in trading for long-rumored target Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Leonard, 34, enjoyed a banner regular season with the Clippers. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game en route to earning his sixth career NBA All-Star selection. Leonard also appeared in exactly 65 games for the Clippers, making him eligible for this year’s NBA awards.
As it currently stands, Leonard is under contract for just one more season at $50.3 million. However, there is the possibility that Leonard’s contract with the Clippers gets voided pursuant to the Aspiration scandal, which would immediately make him available to sign with any NBA team.
The Heat went 43-39 this season but just suffered a disappointing loss in this year’s NBA play-in tournament, eliminating them from playoff contention. Now it appears that they may be going star-hunting this summer.
Leonard has been linked to Miami in the past, and the Heat also have his former Clippers and Toronto Raptors teammate Norman Powell on the roster. Though age will be a primary concern for Leonard as he turns 35 in June, he may be the Plan B that Miami has in mind if they cannot land Antetokounmpo in a trade this offseason.
