A new wrinkle has been thrown in ahead of Kawhi Leonard beginning extension talks with the Toronto Raptors this week.
The Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers agreed last week to a blockbuster trade sending Leonard back to Toronto, where he helped the franchise win its only NBA Championship in 2019, for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, draft picks, and a swap.
Now that the trade can become official this week, Leonard is set to talk to the Raptors about a contract extension, as he only has one year and $50.3 million left on his current deal.
But there is an interesting wrinkle thrown in ahead of these new contract talks.
Kawhi Leonard Has a New Agent
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Leonard has hired a new agent, Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports, to represent him ahead of his contract talks with the Raptors.
Previously, Mitch Frankel and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, were the ones negotiating contracts, so this is a major shift for Leonard, who is now hiring Gaines to represent him.
“Leonard has hired Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports as his new agent to oversee negotiations, sources told ESPN. Gaines will meet with Raptors officials in Toronto over the coming days to discuss the future of Leonard, who has one season and $50.3 million remaining on his contract. Gaines has worked closely with Leonard over the past year as his business attorney. The change is a major shift for Leonard, who previously had Mitch Frankel and his uncle and business adviser Dennis Robertson handle all of his affairs. Frankel represented Leonard on his negotiations with the LA Clippers, including a three-year extension signed in 2024,” Charania wrote on ESPN.
Kawhi Leonard Expected to Command Big Money on Contract Extension
Although he is 35 years old, Leonard is expected to command big money on his contract extension with Toronto as he’s coming off a great season with the Clippers, where he averaged 27.9 points per game and was named a Second-Team All-NBA player.
Leonard will no doubt get max money on his next deal; the only question is how many years will his next contract be for?
There have already been rumblings linking Leonard to a two-year contract extension for $123.7 million, the max allowed on a two-year extension for the veteran.
The Raptors traded a lot of assets to bring Leonard back home, so they knew that a contract extension was coming, and Raptors GM Bobby Webster will surely have no issue at all handing Leonard the bag given what he means to the franchise both in the past and present.
Of course, Leonard’s injury history and his age make this trade and upcoming contract extension somewhat risky. But the Raptors have to do it, because Leonard gives them the best chance of winning a chip if he can stay on the court for the team next year and beyond.
With Leonard back in Toronto, the Raptors are now one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post New Wrinkle As Kawhi Leonard Begins Raptors Extension Talks appeared first on HEAVY.