Kawhi Leonard only commits to Clippers for two seasons
The Los Angeles Clippers have officially landed Kawhi Leonard, but they did not get as long of a commitment from the NBA Finals MVP as reports originally said they would.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Leonard has signed a three-year, $103 million max contract with the Clippers. The deal includes a player option for the third year, meaning Leonard and Paul George can both become free agents following the 2020-21 season.
Kawhi Leonard has signed his Los Angeles Clippers contract — a three-year, $103M maximum contract with a player option in the third season, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2019
Leonard has signed a two-plus-one and aligned his contract with Paul George — with both players having the ability via player option to enter 2021 free agency. https://t.co/ZK3Z5huqiu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2019
That seems like a pretty significant development, as it may indicate Leonard still has some concerns about his long-term future. He’s only 28, so we could have the potential of another free agent frenzy involving him in two years if he decides to opt out of the deal and not re-sign.
Or, it could simply be about the money. As Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk noted, Leonard and George will both be at 10 years of service in two years, which puts them in line for a significant raise. Still, the option to leave will be there.
Leonard’s main priority is winning championships, and he doesn’t know what he has with the Clippers just yet. There was once a time when it seemed like his goal was to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, so you can imagine the type of drama that would unfold if he considers them again in two years. Though, the relationship may be a bit strained with the way Leonard appeared to use the Lakers this offseason.
