According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the only team that Kawhi Leonard is willing to sign an extension with is the Toronto Raptors.
Rumors have been swirling in recent days about the Los Angeles Clippers potentially trading Leonard back to Toronto, where he played during the 2018-19 season, leading the Raptors to the franchise’s only NBA Championship when they defeated the Golden State Warriors.
After spending the last seven years with the Clippers, the team seems likely to trade their superstar this offseason as they go in a younger direction, and it appears the Raptors are a serious suitor to get “The Claw” back.
Kawhi Leonard Open to Raptors Extension
Speaking to ESPN’s SportsCenter on Monday morning, Charania confirmed the Raptors and Clippers are engaged in serious trade discussions about Leonard, and Toronto is the only team he is willing to sign a long-term extension with, as he has just one year and $50.3 million left on his current deal.
“The Clippers and the Raptors are seriously engaged in trade talks surrounding Kawhi Leonard going back to ‘The Six,’ going back to Toronto. At the crux of this is the Clippers are moving in a younger direction, and Kawhi has one year left on his deal at about $50 million. My understanding is Toronto is the only place he is willing to commit to on a long-term extension if traded outside of Los Angeles,” Leonard said.
“This gives him a ton of leverage in the marketplace. We know when he got traded from the (San Antonio) Spurs to the Raptors back in 2018, he said, ‘Listen, I’m only going to play one year, one year only, and then I’m out.’ That’s exactly what happened. He led them to a championship and he won Finals MVP that year in 2019, then he spent the last six, seven years with the Clippers.
“These conversations will continue all day to day, and potentially through the rest of the week, and we’ll see if a deal comes to fruition.
“There’s no long-term extension from the Clippers to Kawhi Leonard as of right now. So, if there’s no long-term deal there, there could be one in Toronto.”
Kawhi Leonard Had a Huge Year in Los Angeles
This past season for the Clippers, Leonard had a monster season, scoring 27.9 points per game and being named to the All-NBA Second Team after playing in 65 games with the franchise.
Given that he has been heavily injured during most of his Clippers’ tenure, it was nice to see the legend turn back the clock this past season and show that he is still one of the best players in the league.
Leonard turned 35 years old today, so he is certainly on the back end of his career at this point. But as he proved this past season, there is still plenty left in the tank.
If the Raptors can swing a trade with Los Angeles, then it appears that Leonard is willing to sign long-term in Toronto and potentially finish his career with the Raptors.
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