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Kawhi Leonard has rejected his option for the $36 million player next season to become a free agent, a source confirmed to ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.
Leonard is expected to negotiate a new deal to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Lugnarowski. Leonard could potentially sign a four-year deal worth $176.2 million or could do one and one and become a free agent in 2022, when he can sign a five-year deal worth $235 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
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Leonard’s decision to turn down his option follows surgery on July 13 to repair a partially torn right anterior cruciate ligament that has kept him out of the Clippers’ last eight games. Leonard is expected to waste a significant amount of time while rehabilitating his injury.
“We hope to have a long-term relationship with him,” Lawrence Frank, head of basketball operations for the Clippers, said last week. “…Right now, our focus, like Kohi, is on his health. He’s had major surgery. He tore his ACL. It’s going to take a huge amount of time and we want to support him with that.”
Leonard said last December that rejecting his option doesn’t necessarily mean he’s leaving the Clippers.
“Obviously, if you’re in good health, the best decision is to turn down the player’s choice,” Leonard said in December. “But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving or staying.”
Leonard averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 52 regular season games during his second campaign with the Clippers. He missed 9 out of 10 matches in April with a foot injury.
Before Leonard injured his knee, the Clippers got a glimpse of their potential as Leonard and Paul George played the best basketball together in the playoff stage. Leonard averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while firing 57.3% in 11 games after the season.
After the Clippers reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, they hope to bring back their biggest free agents like Leonard, Reggie Jackson and Nick Patom. Center Serge Ibaka chose to enter the second year of his deal on Saturday.
Leonard’s decision to reject his player option was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
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Sources 2/ https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmVzcG4uY29tL25iYS9zdG9yeS9fL2lkLzMxOTM2NTk1L3NvdXJjZS1rYXdoaS1sZW9uYXJkLWRlY2xpbmVzLTM2LW1pbGxpb24tcGxheWVyLW9wdGlvbi1uZXh0LXNlYXNvbtIBfGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmVzcG4uY29tL25iYS9zdG9yeS9fL2lkLzMxOTM2NTk1L3NvdXJjZS1rYXdoaS1sZW9uYXJkLWRlY2xpbmVzLTM2LW1pbGxpb24tcGxheWVyLW9wdGlvbi1uZXh0LXNlYXNvbj9wbGF0Zm9ybT1hbXA?oc=5 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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