There was no bigger story in basketball this month than one involving a Kawhi Leonard contract. But a new update in the saga just reportedly unfolded.
Now that the trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors is officially completed, the two-time NBA Finals MVP is planting his roots for a bit longer than his last tenure in Canada. According to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday afternoon, Leonard agreed to a $115 million deal over two years.
That is less than a maximum contract for Leonard by approximately $11 million. According to Charania, Leonard also waived his $7.45 million trade kicker as both sides "discussed flexibility for the Raptors' rising salary books" over the three upcoming NBA seasons.
Leonard infamously took less than
a max contract when he signed an extension with the Clippers in January 2024.
That decision, in part, led to the investigation surrounding the salary cap circumvention that dominated the news cycle this summer and led to severe punishment for Los Angeles this offseason.
Leonard is expected to finish his career with the Raptors, where he won a championship during his previous sole season with the team in 2019.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Kawhi Leonard took less than max for Raptors' contract extension
