Latest on Kawhi Leonard-Clippers Extension Talks: What's the Max He Can Sign For?

Kawhi Leonard is entering the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He is due $50.3 million next season but will be eligible to sign an extension this summer. Will the 34-year-old superstar put ink to paper and commit to the Clippers long-term? Or will he explore his options elsewhere?

The answers to these questions will decide where the Clippers go from here. So, the biggest storyline for the Clippers over the next few months will be Leonard's decision.

What's the Maximum Extension Kawhi Leonard Can Sign?

Leonard can only extend his contract for two more seasons this summer. The most he can sign for is a two-year, $126.1 million deal. This will bring Leonard's deal up to a three-year, $176.4 million deal in total, an average of $58.8 million per season.

With his play in the 2025-26 season, Leonard would be well-deserving of that annual salary. At the same time, he will turn 35 before the start of next season and has a lengthy injury history. Will Leonard really be worth $60 million in his age-37 season?

What Do the Clippers Want to Do?

GM Lawrence Frank said after the season that the organization's plan is to "win with Kawhi." They have gone above and beyond over the years to keep Leonard happy in LA. There is little reason for that to change now.

The Clippers should presumably be willing to give Leonard the maximum extension. Since it's only two additional years, this extension shouldn't be a major obstacle to a potential Leonard trade in the future. Kawhi's upside is so clear that there will be teams willing to trade for him if the Clippers decide to change course.

What Does Kawhi Leonard Want?

This is much harder to know. Leonard is one of the hardest superstars to know. After the Play-In loss to the Warriors, he refused to commit to the Clippers and said he wanted to "cry about this loss a little bit more" before having discussions about his future. There hasn't been an update since then.

Leonard's feelings towards Los Angeles and the Clippers organization are well-known. He has made his desire to be close to home in LA clear on multiple occasions. So, if the Clippers are willing to give him a max extension and try to build a contender around him, it's hard to see him wanting to go elsewhere.

NBA Investigation into Clippers' Dealings With Aspiration and Kawhi

The league investigation into the Clippers' dealings with Aspiration and Leonard is ongoing. This could obviously impact where this all goes.

Leonard recently said that he "isn't stressing it," and Steve Ballmer sounded not particularly concerned about a punishment coming from the league.

Until the investigation concludes, however, it will be hard for the Clippers to make their offseason moves. There could be serious consequences like freezing draft picks, voiding Leonard's contract, or severely penalizing Ballmer. All of this could lead to Leonard's time in LA coming to an end. If the Clippers don't have any draft picks to trade anymore, would Leonard really want to sign an extension with a team with no chance of upgrading the roster?

All Possible Kawhi Leonard Scenarios This Offseason

The best-case scenario is the Clippers' signing Leonard to an extension and the partnership continuing. That could either be for the maximum allowable extension, or Leonard could give the Clippers a minor discount to give them some future flexibility to build a winner.

The worst-case scenario would be the league investigation leading to Leonard's contract being voided. However, this is not a very likely scenario.

There is obviously a chance that the sides can't agree to an extension. In that case, Leonard could play out the rest of his contract and hit unrestricted free agency next summer. If that's the case, the Clippers would try to trade him either in the offseason or at the trade deadline. There is also a chance that the Clippers and Leonard could come to a mutual understanding this summer that a trade would benefit both sides.

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