Kawhi Leonard was the biggest talent in free agency this season, and he took quite some time deciding where he would be playing next season. While he will be returning to the Los Angeles Clippers as many expected, the two sides are still negotiating the exact terms of the deal.
One of the possibilities for Kawhi Leonard could be a long-term deal that keeps him in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. That would certainly be welcomed by a lot of Los Angeles Clippers fans, as Leonard is a top-5 talent in the league. However, basketball analyst Stephen A. Smith seemingly has some reservations in giving Leonard a long-term deal, citing the star forward’s durability issues.
"You can't trust [Kawhi Leonard]."
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/2uwzOYfnWp
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 6, 2021
I would have strong, strong reservations about giving Kawhi Leonard a long-term deal. I’ve sad that on many occasions… Ladies and gentlemen, I’m not blind. This dude is a top-5 player when healthy… The brother is the real deal. The problem is, you can’t trust him. Kawhi Leonard, you can’t trust him to be available, because he has durability issues. He certainly ain’t going to help you with marketing and promotion-wise.
While Kawhi Leonard may have had to do load management at various points over the last few seasons, it is clear that the time missed during the regular season is worth it in the playoffs, as he has consistently elevated his performance during the postseason. While the Los Angeles Clippers will likely be worse without him next season, if he signs a long-term deal, they would be ready to run it back during the 2022-23 season.
When you a franchise has the opportunity to sign a superstar to a long-term deal, they generally end up doing it. While it remains to be seen what Kawhi Leonard’s contract will end up looking like with the Los Angeles Clippers, it would certainly alleviate many concerns about the team’s future if it were a long-term deal.
