Kawhi Leonard has chosen a shorter contract with the LA Clippers that lines up with new teammate Paul George and sets up the two to be part of the 2021 free-agent class, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Leonard signed a three-year, $103.1 million deal that includes a player option for the 2021-22 season, the source said. He will make $32.74 million next season, $34.37 million in 2020-21 and $36.01 million in the player-option season.
George’s four-year, $136.9 million contract, signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2018 offseason, also includes a player option for 2021-22.
The Athletic first reported that Leonard was signing a three-year contract.
The Clippers announced that they had signed Leonard on Wednesday without releasing contract details.
Leonard agreed to sign with the Clippers after the team negotiated a trade with the Thunder for George. The deal, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, sends four future unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps to the Thunder.
In return, the Clippers now are assured of just two years of Leonard and George playing for them.
If both players become free agents in 2021, the Clippers would hold Leonard’s early Bird rights and full Bird rights for George.
Based on that, LA could offer Leonard a four-year, $196 million contract and George a five-year, $254 million deal, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this report.