Multiple, very obvious reasons made it clear it was time for the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard to part ways, but one kind of flew under the radar: Los Angeles wasn’t about to give Leonard, 35, the kind of extension he wanted.
The Toronto Raptors will.
In a deal that was expected, Leonard and the Raptors have agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension for the two-time Finals MVP, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. This deal is a little below the $126 million max and the second year of the extension, 2028-29, is a player option, but Leonard also waived his trade kicker.
While this extension was expected, and the two sides stayed in contact all summer, it was delayed because Toronto put the trade of Leonard on hold for a couple of months. It wanted to see the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap to get Leonard “no-show” endorsement deals, before signing off. Leonard got off with a slap on the wrist (a $700,000 fine), and the trade went through just more than a week ago. The extension was always likely to follow.
Leonard has said he wants to finish his career in Toronto and this contract would take him through his age 38 season. This extension kicks in for the 2027-28 season, Leonard will make $50.3 million this season in the final year of a deal signed with the Clippers (which drew a lot of attention).
This is largely a bet on Leonard’s health. When he is consistently on the court, as he was last season when he played 65 games — averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game and still playing elite defense — he is a top-10 player in the league. However, in the previous eight seasons, Leonard played in 65+ games just once. He has played in Toronto before, leading the franchise to its 2019 championship, and he trusts the medical staff there, which kept him fresh that year for a playoff run.
Toronto adds Leonard to a stacked roster with another All-NBA-level player in Scottie Barnes, plus RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a group of solid role players. If Leonard stays healthy, Toronto could be a top-four seed and make some noise in the East. But it’s all a bet on Leonard’s health.
