LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has reportedly signed his contract with the team — which is now a three-year deal. What does that mean for the team?
When news first broke late last week that superstar free agent Kawhi Leonard had agreed to a deal with the LA Clippers, it was reported that the contract was four years in length and worth $142 million. Now, it’s been reported that Leonard has officially signed his contract — which has since changed to a three-year deal worth $103 million, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
So, what’s the reason for the change? Why isn’t Leonard signing the four-year max?
It’s simple, really. Leonard’s deal is reportedly three years in length, with a player option on the final year — which matches up exactly with the contract that Paul George, the other star the Clippers acquired this summer, is signed to.
That’ll grant both Leonard and George the opportunity to either opt-in or opt-out (it would likely be to opt-out) and either re-sign or test free agency in 2021.
Now, you might be thinking that this is a bad thing for Los Angeles, and it certainly could be if things go South between now and then. But if you take a closer look, Leonard’s contract makes perfect sense for his future.
In order to be eligible for a supermax contract, a player must play at least 10 seasons in the NBA. After those first two years of Leonard’s supposed deal expire, he’ll be exactly at that mark. Assuming he and the Clippers are successful for the next few seasons, chances are he’ll re-sign with the franchise on a supermax deal that’s five years in length.
Leonard could only earn the five-year supermax with the LA Clippers, while another team could offer four years at most. That gives the Clippers an advantage, as they would have the opportunity to offer the most guaranteed salary.
George will be eligible for the supermax before Leonard, as he came into the league one year prior, in 2010. As is the case with most players in the league today, he’ll also be seeking that amount of money once his current deal expires in the summer of 2021.
Until then, the Clippers must do their best to win a title — or titles — if they hope to keep both Leonard and George in LA uniforms beyond the 2020-2021 season. And with the league as wide open as ever, it seems (for now) to be theirs to lose in 2019-2020.
As the LA Clippers begin to gear up for this year’s campaign, expect them to be very focused on the short-term. The franchise has never been this close to a title before.