NBA Rumors: Kawhi Leonard's Contract Means Clippers, Lakers Stars Can Be Free Agents Within 2 Years
The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are among the biggest winners of the summer, acquiring superstars to become favorites in the Western Conference. L.A. might dominate the NBA for years to come, but there’s a chance both teams will only have a short championship window.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year, $103 million contract with the Clippers. The deal includes a player option for the 2021-2022 season. Paul George, who the team landed in a blockbuster trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, also has the option to become a free agent in two summers.
The Lakers’ star players could theoretically both leave Los Angeles by 2021, as well. LeBron James has a $41 million player option for that season. The Lakers traded away virtually all of their assets to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis, even though he has the ability to become a free agent in a year.
It will be stunning if Davis doesn’t sign a new contract with the Lakers next summer. Leonard and George aren’t necessarily likely to leave Los Angeles in two years. The structure of their contracts simply gives them the flexibility to sign for a more lucrative yearly salary in 2021 and beyond.
Leonard has signed a two-plus-one and aligned his contract with Paul George -- with both players having the ability via player option to enter 2021 free agency. https://t.co/ZK3Z5huqiu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2019
Kawhi Leonard’s 2 1 contract with Clippers preserves his ability to opt out as a 10-year veteran (after 2 years, $67M) and sign a 35% max deal in 2021. He’d only have Early Bird rights with L.A. then, so it would project to be 4 years, $196M (or 4/$188M with any other team).
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) July 10, 2019
Paul George took a 3 1 last summer, which enables him to opt out as a full Bird 11-year veteran in 2021. So, if you feel LAC would give it to him, he could shoot for 5 years, $253M (or 4/$188M with any other team). But, for him, an extension after this season is an option too.
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) July 10, 2019
In the case that either team does somehow lose one or two of their All-Stars within the next couple of years, the franchises could be in big trouble down the road.
The Clippers are banking on being good for a long time, having traded five first-round picks, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for George. Two of those picks were the Miami Heat’s 2021 and 2023 first-rounders, but the Thunder now own the Clippers’ first-rounders in 2022, 2024 and 2026. The Thunder also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Clippers in 2023 and 2025.
Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the NBA’s best rookies last season with the potential to become a future All-Star.
In addition to sending New Orleans the No.4 pick in June’s draft, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, the Lakers will allow the Pelicans to control their draft assets for a few years.
New Orleans gets the Lakers’ 2021 first-rounder if it falls within the top-eight. If that selection is ninth or higher, Los Angeles keeps the pick and the Pelicans instead get the Lakers’ 2022 pick. The Pelicans also get the option to swap picks in 2023, as well as the Lakers’ 2024 first-rounder, which New Orleans can defer to 2025 if they want.
Teams that were unable to sign star free agents this summer are already setting themselves up for the 2021 offseason. The New York Knicks, for example, used their $70 million in cap space on contracts that are only guaranteed for one or two years.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will headline the 2021 free-agent class. He’ll be eligible to sign a record-setting supermax contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in the summer of 2020.
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