Report: Kawhi Leonard Will Decline Option, Become a Free Agent
Kawhi Leonard will decline his Raptors 2019-20 player option worth $21.3 million, becoming an unrestricted free agent, reports Yahoo Sports Chris Haynes.
According to Haynes, Leonard is believed to be seriously considering re-signing with Toronto, with the Raptors being the only team who can offer the All-Star a max contract for five years and $190 million. A handful of teams could secure meetings with him.
Leonard won the NBA Finals and was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his career after beating the Warriors in six games. With the title, Toronto earned its first championship in franchise history, and the Warriors fell short of the first three-peat since the Lakers in 2000-02. Leonard led Toronto with 28.5 points per game in the Finals, shooting 47.6% from the field.
This season, Leonard averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. The 27-year-old Leonard was expected to op out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent this summer.
Leonard was picked at No. 15 overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Pacers out of San Diego State but was traded to the Spurs the same day. He won a title with San Antonio in 2014. After seven seasons with the Spurs, he was traded to the Raptors in 2018 in a deal that included DeMar DeRozan.
You can get the Sports Illustrated commemorative cover of the Raptors title here.
