Sports
NBA Rumors: Kawhi Leonard's Clippers Contract Talks 'Kind of Quiet Right Now' – Bleacher Report
Kawhi Leonard is eligible to sign a four-year contract extension this summer, but the Los Angeles Clippers don’t appear to be in a rush to get a deal done.
Appearing on The Lowe Post podcast (h/t RealGM.com), ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk said talks between Leonard and the Clippers are “kind of quiet right now.”
Both Leonard and Paul George can re-sign with the team on deals worth up to $220 million over four years. If they don’t extend with the Clippers, they can become free agents next summer by opting out of their contracts.
At this point, though, there’s been no indication the Clippers are looking to make that type of commitment to either player. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank didn’t directly address if those deals would be offered, but he hopes to have both players around for awhile.
“We want to keep them as Clippers for a long time,” Frank told reporters on April 27.
Most of the attention around the Clippers so far this offseason has revolved around James Harden. They have been the most-frequently cited landing spot for the former NBA MVP if the Philadelphia 76ers trade him.
The Sixers certainly don’t appear to be in a rush to move Harden. The Clippers haven’t been quick to try and match Philadelphia’s asking price for the 10-time All-Star, including not putting Terance Mann in an offer, per Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice.
It’s not hard to figure out why the Clippers may be reluctant to bet on Leonard for four more years. He’s only played 161 regular-season games in four years with the team. The two-time NBA Finals MVP has suffered season-ending injuries in each of their last two playoff appearances in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
When Leonard has played, his performance has been terrific. He averaged 23.8 points on 51.2 percent shooting, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 52 appearances last season.
The Clippers are currently projected to pay $303 million next season between payroll and luxury tax payments. They have made the playoffs in three of the past four years with Leonard and George, but have only advanced beyond the second round once in 2020-21 when they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.