Operated for a partial rupture of a cruciate ligament of the knee, Kawhi Leonard will not play again before 2022. A long-term unavailability which will not change anything in his plans, and he should therefore use his “player option” to test the market , and thus get a new contract over several seasons.
Obviously, on the Clippers side, we do not want to lose him, and Steve Ballmer will take out his checkbook to offer him a maximum contract. Except that it will have competition, and according to Marc Stein, the Clippers are somewhat anxious. Especially since the applicants are ambitious and prestigious. The most aggressive would be the Mavericks who fell two years in a row against the Clippers. Mark Cuban is a specialist in big hits, and he wants to find this superstar who will allow Luka Doncic to breathe a little, but also to go further in the playoffs.
Other interested franchises: the Heat and the Knicks! Even though they won the title, the Bucks had shown some signs of weakness, and the race will still be very open last season, and Miami has the arguments to snatch Leonard. First with a very nice envelope since they can part with the big salaries of Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala ($ 35 million between them), or via a sign-and-trade by offering a “package” around of a Tyler Herro for example.
On the New York side, finances are also in the green, and the franchise wants to devote its envelope to a very good playmaker, or why not a winger since that remains one of the weak points of the team. Given Leonard’s defensive qualities, he would be perfect in Thibodeau’s basketball.
| Kawhi Leonard | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | SAN | 64 | 24 | 49.3 | 37.6 | 77.3 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 7.9 |
| 2012-13 | SAN | 58 | 31 | 49.4 | 37.4 | 82.5 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 11.9 |
| 2013-14 | SAN | 66 | 29 | 52.2 | 37.9 | 80.2 | 1.2 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 12.8 |
| 2014-15 | SAN | 64 | 32 | 47.9 | 34.9 | 80.2 | 1.3 | 5.9 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 16.5 |
| 2015-16 | SAN | 72 | 33 | 50.6 | 44.3 | 87.4 | 1.3 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 21.2 |
| 2016-17 | SAN | 74 | 33 | 48.5 | 38.0 | 88.0 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 25.5 |
| 2017-18 | SAN | 9 | 23 | 46.8 | 31.4 | 81.6 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 16.2 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 60 | 34 | 49.6 | 37.1 | 85.4 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 26.6 |
| 2019-20 | LAC | 57 | 32 | 47.0 | 37.8 | 88.6 | 1.0 | 6.1 | 7.1 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 27.1 |
| 2020-21 | LAC | 52 | 34 | 51.2 | 39.8 | 88.5 | 1.1 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 24.9 |
| Total | 576 | 31 | 49.3 | 38.4 | 85.8 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 19.2 | |
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