By Field Level Media
Sep 22 (Field Level Media) - All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Toronto Raptors, plus a player option for the 2028-29 season, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
The report, citing Leonard's agent Harrison Gaines of Slash Sports, said Leonard has three years and $165 million on his deal with the Raptors, who re- obtained the player on Sept. 14 in a long-delayed trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard agreed to take $11 million
less than his maximum contract extension amount as well as waive a $7.5 million trade kicker to come back to Toronto.
The trade, initially agreed to on June 30, was officially signed off on by both teams after months of delay amid the NBA's investigation into Los Angeles allegedly giving Leonard impermissible benefits.
In return for sending Leonard to Toronto, where in his lone season the Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship, the Clippers received forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks.
Those acquired picks will help to replace the five first-round picks the league stripped from the Clippers for the $28 million "no-show job" the Clippers arranged for Leonard through one of their partners, Aspiration, in order to circumvent the salary cap. The NBA found the Clippers also made arrangements to pay Leonard through team partners Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sept. 13 that he would accept the NBA's punishment, which included a one-year suspension and a $30 million fine along with the forfeited draft picks.
Leonard, 35, averaged 25.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game over 331 games (329 starts) across the past six seasons for the Clippers. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points in 65 regular-season games last season.
The seven-time All-NBA player and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was with the Raptors for just one very eventful season, where he anchored the first NBA title in franchise history before signing as a free agent with Los Angeles that offseason.
Leonard has averaged 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals over 798 games (769 starts) across 14 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs (2011-18), Raptors (2018-19) and Clippers (2019-26).
He was voted the NBA Finals MVP in leading the Spurs (2014) and Raptors to titles.
(--Field Level Media)
