NBA Rumors: Kawhi Leonard to listen to offers from other teams after declining player option with LA Clippers
Kawhi Leonard's future with the LA Clippers could be questionable as per the latest NBA rumors, although he is still expected to ultimately re-sign with his current side.
Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019, the last time he was a free agent in the NBA. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the two-time NBA champion has declined his $36 million player option. Haynes also revealed that Kawhi Leonard is widely expected to re-sign with the LA Clippers but will also be willing to test the free agency market. Here's what he mentioned regarding this matter:
"Even with the injury that he sustained late in the playoff series against the Jazz, he is still going to go out there and test the market. Now I will say this, that Kawhi is in a situation where it looks like he is expected to re-sign with the Clippers. But sources have informed me, that he will listen to other teams."
Kawhi Leonard had a stellar postseason run with the LA Clippers during the 2020-21 NBA campaign. He averaged 30.4 points per game on 57.3% shooting from the floor. He sustained a knee injury in Game 4 of the second-round series against the Utah Jazz, though, which saw him miss the LA Clippers' last eight playoff games.
His absence hurt the team in the Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns. With the way Kawhi Leonard was playing, there was a belief the LA Clippers could have had a legitimate shot at reaching the NBA Finals.
NBA Rumors: Which teams have shown interest in acquiring LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi Leonard's knee injury was reportedly a partial ACL tear. He recently had surgery and will likely miss a huge chunk of next season. That raised many questions about his free agency decision and whether he would opt out of his player option to become an unrestricted free agent.
He is an unrestricted free agent now, so other teams willing to add him to their ranks will be keeping an eye on his situation with the LA Clippers. As per NBA rumors, the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks are three teams that have been interested in Kawhi Leonard's services.
All these teams have a lot of cap room to work with and could look to lure Kawhi Leonard away from the LA Clippers.
As per ESPN's Bobby Marks, the LA Clippers can only offer Kawhi Leonard a 4 year $176.2 million contract at the moment as he doesn't have full 'Bird' rights. He can also sign a 1+1 contract, meaning a two-year $80.6 million deal with a player option at the end of next season to secure a bigger deal.
For that to happen, Kawhi Leonard will have to opt out of his contract again next year to become a free agent (in 2022). It would allow him to re-sign with the LA Clippers on a 5-year $235 million deal.
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