Amidst all the rumors regarding a potential Kawhi trade, the 2-time All-Star is now officially eligible to receive a supermax contract from the Spurs, and the Spurs only. The deal would be worth approximately $221 million over a five-year span if agreed upon.
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The only problem is that Leonard wants out of San Antonio. His relationship with members of the organization has been severely strained by his treatment during his time with the team, and he has been seeking a trade in search of a fresh start away from all the drama that currently surrounds him.
This preference could end up costing him. A supermax deal comes with a set of criteria that he will not meet if he swaps jerseys next season as detailed by Bobby Marks of ESPN:
“Kawhi Leonard is now super max eligible (third year anniversary of the contract signed on July 16, 2015) to receive a five-year $221 million extension from the Spurs. If Leonard is traded, the most he could receive in an extension (six months after the trade) would be $108 million over four-years (starting in 2019-20). Leonard would be eligible to sign a five-year $190 million contract as a free agent with the team acquiring him or four-years $141 million with a team that has cap space. Leonard would not be supermax eligible as a free agent with the new team acquiring him even if he earned All-NBA honors in 2018-19.”
As you can see, leaving San Antonio will cost Leonard a considerable chunk of change. The real question is: Is the extra cash enough to convince Leonard to stay with the Spurs? Probably not, but its hard to turn down a deal that would pay you almost $45 million annually.
There is another option for Kawhi. If he were to sign a short-term deal to re-enter the free agency pool in 2021, Leonard would then be able to ink a sweetheart deal that would net him at most 35 percent of the salary cap for five years, allowing him to get back some of the money he would lose by changing teams.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have all been rumored as possible destinations for Leonard, that is assuming he can pass up this monster deal by the Spurs if offered to him. With trade buzz seemingly dormant around the NBA regarding the young star, only time will reveal Kawhi’s true intentions.
Featured Image Via Flickr/Jose Garcia
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