FILE–Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
LOS ANGELES — With the Los Angeles Clippers compiling certainly one of their best rosters ever, Kawhi Leonard desired to be sure that the main target was on the hunt for a primary NBA Finals appearance in franchise history relatively than his future.
So Leonard signed a three-year contract extension price $152.3 million on Wednesday.
An individual aware of the agreement confirmed the worth of the deal to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial terms weren’t released.
“It was time to do it. I’m blissful,” Leonard said after he scored 29 points within the Clippers’ 126-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors. “I’m just focused on the suitable now. I’m in a moment on this season of attempting to get us to a spot we haven’t been before.”
The 2-time NBA Finals MVP is averaging 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and three.5 assists in his twelfth NBA season. The 32-year-old forward has been in good health, playing in 33 of 37 games to this point. He recently returned after missing 4 games with a hip injury.
Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, said there was never a doubt in his mind that an extension could be reached.
“It just made sense from either side. We each wanted the identical thing,” Frank said. “We wanted Kawhi to be a Clipper for a very long time and Kawhi desires to be a Clipper for a very long time.”
Leonard signed with the Clippers through the 2019 offseason after leading the Raptors to an NBA title. He was within the third yr of a four-year deal he signed in 2021 that calls for him to earn a base salary of $45,640,084 this season. He had a player option for next season at $48,787,676.
“When you may get a top-tier player to sign back, it says lots about your organization and all of the work put in to to get to this position. It’s a terrific day for the organization,” coach Tyronn Lue said.
Leonard is a five-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Yr. He also won an NBA title with San Antonio in 2014.
The Clippers are fourth within the West with a 24-13 record. Their 16-3 record since Dec. 1 is the perfect within the league because the core unit of Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook has gelled with James Harden, who was acquired in a Nov. 1 trade with Philadelphia.
George, who arrived with Leonard in 2019, and Harden are also eligible for extensions. Frank said talks with George are still ongoing, but discussions with Harden can’t begin until after the NBA Finals.
Lue said the addition of Harden has meant Leonard and George have run fewer pick-and-roll plays, which has helped decrease the quantity of wear and tear and tear on their bodies.
“I believe James also has made it easier for Kawhi and Paul to have more catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and to play off closeouts. That’s been really good for us,” Lue said.
