The LA Clippers are keeping Kawhi Leonard in the fold longer. The team announced Wednesday it has signed the All-Star forward to an extension.
Good Morning, #ClipperNation 🖐?
We've signed Kawhi Leonard to a contract extension. pic.twitter.com/aBDJpHwEn0
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 10, 2024
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports the extension is a three-year, $152.4 million deal that goes through the 2026-27 season.
“We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Kawhi. He is an elite player, a terrific partner and a relentless worker who knows how to win and makes it his first priority,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “He elevated our franchise from the moment he arrived. We feel fortunate that Kawhi chose to join the Clippers five years ago, and excited to keep building with him.”
Leonard had a player option for next season, but his new deal secures his future with the team as it prepares to move into the Intuit Dome in Inglewood later this year. Paul George, the other part of the Clippers’ star tandem, has a player option this summer. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers are in extension talks with George as well and, to sign the extension, Leonard must decline his option and do a new deal.
Leonard’s impact: After injuries limited Leonard to 52 games last season and two playoff games, he is fully healthy and performing well in 2023-24. He’s averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game while also shooting 51.6% overall and 43% on 3-pointers.
Leonard’s season hasn’t been without injuries, though. He missed four games in late December because of a hip contusion. However, the Clippers held things down during his absence, going 2-2 during that stretch.
The Clippers have also recovered from a slow start as a team. LA began the season 8-10 and struggled, at times, to integrate James Harden into the team after trading for him in early November. Since that start, the Clippers are 15-3 and are No. 4 in the Western Conference. They lead the Pacific Division and trail the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves by just three games.
Leonard is one of 12 players in NBA history with multiple Finals MVPs, appearing in 137 postseason games while averaging 21.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.8 SPG. He is one of the NBA’s best two-way players and has been selected to seven All-Defensive Teams (2014-17, 2019-21) and is one of three players in NBA history to win a Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year Award and All-Star Game MVP (2020).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
