Kawhi Leonard is one of the most interesting superstars in the history of the NBA. After winning NBA championships and Finals MVP awards with both the Spurs and Raptors, Leonard’s career has been a whirlwind of injuries and load management with the Los Angeles Clippers. Since joining the Clippers for the 2019-20 season, Leonard has yet to play 60 games in a season and has undergone multiple knee surgeries.
It has been a failed experiment in Los Angeles even after the Clippers signed him to a massive four-year, $176 million extension in 2022. He played just 52 games in 2022-23 and averaged 23.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 1.4 SPG. Leonard was then hurt again in the NBA playoffs and has to undergo yet another knee procedure for a torn meniscus which will cost him eight weeks of his offseason.
Clearly, there are major issues with Leonard’s health, and concerns are at an all-time high within the Clippers organization about Leonard’s future. The good news is that Kawhi is only 32 years old, so there is still a small window of hope that he can give the team two or more good seasons but time is running out, and patience is wearing thin.
Below is a breakdown of Kawhi Leonard’s career earnings so far in his career and how much money he has earned on a per-game, per-quarter, and per-minute basis. The results will surprise you.
Career Earnings – $233,455,026
Over the last 12 seasons, Kawhi Leonard has made nearly $233.5 million, which would be the 22nd-most in NBA history. For the first half of his career, Leonard proved to be a superstar difference-maker that was worth every penny of the massive contracts he received. From 2013 through 2019, Leonard was a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who showed he was capable of carrying a franchise.
The last four seasons have been a different story.
Since joining the Clippers in 2019-20, Leonard has only increased his annual salary every year. In 2023-24, he is set to make $45,640,000 and is set for a player option in 2024-25 worth $48,788.000. The Clippers may have gotten in over their heads with the extension of Leonard in 2022 before seeing how healthy he was going to be, but I understand the upside is worth the risk when you promised your city a championship.
The next two years are going to be an interesting time for Leonard as his career earnings sail over $300 million but with no telling if any growth will be seen in his trophy case.
Per Game – $371,744
Kawhi’s career earnings get even more interesting when we break them down per game. Over the last 12 seasons, Leonard has played in 628 games, which means that he has made nearly $371,800 per game. Now, when it comes to his time with the Spurs and Raptors, his salary was worth it as he delivered all-time great playoff appearances and NBA championships.
Things are much worse when you dive into his last four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. During his time in Los Angeles, Leonard has missed a total of 167 games while only playing in 161. This means that Kawhi Leonard has made $62 million while sitting on the bench and less than $60 million from actually appearing in a game.
With the recent news that Kawhi needs an additional knee procedure done on a torn meniscus suffered in this year’s playoffs, the Clippers have to feel defeated and like they are losing on their investment right now, especially when that investment has not returned an NBA championship.
Per Quarter – $92,936
Could you imagine being able to make nearly six figures in just 12 minutes? Well, that is exactly what Kawhi Leonard has made on average during his NBA career. Think about the things one could afford with what Leonard makes from playing basketball in the amount of time it will take most people to read this article.
With the seventh-highest salary in the NBA in 2023-24, Kawhi Leonard is set to make over $45.6 million with the Clippers. If his games played average continues as it has for the last three seasons, he will play around 51 games in 2023-24, meaning he will miss 124 quarters of basketball while still making over $11.5 million without seeing the basketball court.
That equates to roughly 25.0% of his annual salary being rewarded to him without stepping foot on the court, which is absolutely ridiculous when you think about it. I hope Leonard is able to actually earn this money by playing despite his offseason knee surgery. We all know the league is a better place when he is at full strength and challenging the league’s best in the NBA playoffs.
Per Minute – $11,807
Someone like you and I being able to fathom making almost $12 thousand every 60 seconds is nearly impossible. That means within 10 minutes of play, Kawhi Leonard has already locked in six figures for his workday, even though he gets paid to sit anyway, but you know what I mean.
Kawhi’s numbers per minute will only increase as his contract with the Clippers plays out over the next two seasons. In 2023-24, Kawhi Leonard will make $45,640,084. If we take his minutes played from last season and use that for 2023-24, which seems likely, that means he will make over $26 thousand every minute that he is actually on the court. With a player option for over $48 million in 2024-25, you can only imagine how crazy those numbers get from there.
Per Second – $197
Every time we blink our eyes while watching Leonard play in his career, another $200, on average went into his pocket. If most Americans blinked 10 times, they would have enough to afford their rent for the month. It really puts things into perspective when you compare Leonard’s ridiculous salary to the life of an average human being.
Any average human being would not know what to do with their life if they made almost $200 every time they blinked their eyes. I know I wouldn’t. This is what people mean when they say that someone has more money than they know what to do with, isn’t it?
Now that we have broken down Leonard’s entire career worth of contracts, it is easy to see why so many fans of the Clippers, and basketball in general, would be so upset about Leonard’s lack of time on the court. When someone is making this kind of money, you expect them to be a consistent contributor on the court rather than on the sidelines. Leonard’s status moving forward is up in the air. What isn’t a question is that Leonard will become a very rich man, even more than he already is, whether he plays or not.
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