LA Clippers: Kawhi Leonard inks long-term deal, shows commitment to LA

The LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have come to an agreement on a four-year contract worth $176.3 million, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes.

It was reported earlier this month that Kawhi planned on staying with the Clippers, and it made a lot of sense. Leonard wanted to play with Paul George, who had already been extended, he’s an LA native, he has three homes in Southern California (two in Los Angeles), and he reportedly has a strong relationship with Clippers Head Coach Tyronn Lue.

Kawhi Leonard is ready for a long-term commitment with the LA Clippers.

There was speculation that Kawhi Leonard was not happy with the LA Clippers’ medical staff, according to FS1’s Skip Bayless.

Clearly, those concerns have been put to bed with Leonard not only joining the Clippers again, but joining the team for another three years after next season.

This is a great situation for the Clips. Even if Kawhi does miss a significant portion of the season this year, he’s signed for another three years, locked in long-term.

This deal also makes Leonard the highest-paid player on the Clippers, which is something he deserves too. He has surpassed PG’s $176,265,466 extension that will be effective this year by close to $35,000. It’s not a huge upgrade, but he is now the highest-paid Clipper, and gets to enjoy playing in the city he loves.

The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks were all thought to be players in the Leonard sweepstakes, but they spent their cap money pretty quickly, so they seemed to know that Leonard didn’t want too much to do with them.

It’s a big day for Clipper Nation, and solidifies the Clippers as one of the most dangerous teams in this league once they get Leonard back for the postseason.