Kawhi Leonard signs massive contract extension with Clippers

Kawhi Leonard, the centerpiece for the Clippers since his signing in the summer of 2019, has agreed to a three-year, $153 million extension that will keep him in a Clippers uniform.

The star forward and two-time Finals MVP is having his healthiest and most productive season in years, playing in 32 of the Clippers' 36 games so far and averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

In their final season playing in the Crypto.com Arena, the Clippers have a trio of stars playing in the final year of their contracts. Leonard and Paul George have player options for 2024-25, and newly acquired James Harden's contract is expiring. Now, Los Angeles knows that Leonard at least is sticking with the team long-term.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the team wants to extend George as well.

It's a high-risk, high-reward move for the Clippers. When healthy, Leonard is one of the NBA's best players, and possibly its best two-way player. He's a highly efficient offensive player, making 55.6 percent of his two-pointers, 43 percent of his threes and 87.1 percent of his free throws. On defense, the Clippers allow 11.4 fewer points per 100 possessions when Leonard is on the court.

After starting the season 3-7, including four straight losses after trading for Harden, the Clippers have gone 20-6 and established themselves as title contenders. The team has always been very good when George and Leonard have been healthy since the team signed Leonard and traded for George four years ago. They've just missed a lot of games.

Leonard tore his ACL during the playoffs in 2021 and tore his meniscus during last year's first round. L.A. made the conference finals without him, but Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season, while George missed 51 games. Last year, it was George who missed the playoffs with an injury, while Leonard was hurt in Game 2 of the first round.

But the Clippers' best option has always been banking on their stars getting healthy. Thanks to the deals for George and Harden, the team doesn't control its first-round pick until 2030, owing them to Oklahoma City or Philadelphia in trades or pick swaps every season. That also means the Clippers don't have the draft capital to trade for replacement stars.

The Clips have every incentive to win now, especially in advance of opening a new arena in Los Angeles, where they're nowhere near as popular as the Lakers. It may be risky to bet on Kawhi Leonard's health, but letting him leave in free agency would be even riskier.