NBA star Kawhi Leonard declines $36 million player option: Reports

Kawhi
Leonard, the two-time NBA finals Most Valuable Player, has declined his $36
million player option for the next season to become a free agent, ESPN cited
sources as saying.

It is
expected that Leonard will negotiate a new deal with the LA Clippers for the
2021-22 season, entering free agency, MLB sources reportedly told Yahoo News.

Leonard is
returning after weeks from his partially torn right ACL.

Leonard is
eligible for a starting salary of 35% of the salary cap — $36 million. This
made the decision to decline easy for Leonard. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is
expected to shell out whatever is required to keep this extremely coveted
player on his side.

“Right now
our focus, like Kawhi, like his is, is on his health,” said Clippers president
of basketball operations Lawrence Frank following his team’s productive draft
on Thursday.

“He had a
major surgery. He tore his ACL. That’s going to require a great deal of time
and we want to support him in that,” Frank said.

Kawhi Leonard
is now eligible for a contract worth as much as $175 million over the next four
years. If Leonard does sign with the LA Clippers this season and reenter free
agency next summer, when the Clippers would own his full Bird rights, he could
command a five-year maximum contract of nearly $250 million.

Prior to
his last season, Leonard had said, “Not saying I’m going anywhere else or
staying here, but I’m just focused on this season. Obviously, if I’m healthy,
the best decision is to decline the player option, but that doesn’t mean I’m
leaving or staying.”