Kawhi Leonard could become a free agent this summer, if he opts out of the last year of the three-year deal he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019.
For the past several months, it’s been a foregone conclusion that the 30-year-old Leonard would opt out of his deal and become a free agent to sign a max deal with the LA franchise.
After the team announced that Leonard had surgery to repair a partially torn right ACL, questions arose about the way the Clippers’ superstar will handle his contract situation.
Right now, it appears that nothing has changed on this front, per Michael Scotto of Hoopshype:
“One executive I spoke to following the announcement that Kawhi had surgery to repair the partially torn ACL said he thinks no matter what, Kawhi would opt out, especially given the fact that Kevin Durant got the max after he suffered a ruptured Achilles. That executive also noted that Kawhi’s going to hit the 10-year mark for his years of service, which plays a role in upping his max contract as well.”
Leonard is expected to miss a huge chunk of next season as he will be recovering from a partially torn right ACL. The 30-year-old averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for the Clippers the past season.
