Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have reached a two-year, $115 million contract extension, his agent Harrison Gaines told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal includes a player option for the 2028-29 season. He is now under contract for three seasons with the Raptors for a total of $165 million. Charania reports Leonard and the Raptors had constant dialogue on his long-term future with the team since July once they agreed to re-acquire him from the Los Angeles Clippers. Charania adds he is expected to finish his career in Toronto. According to Charania, Leonard took $11 million less than his maximum extension number - on top of waiving a $7.45 million trade kicker to accommodate his trade from the Clippers - as the sides discussed flexibility for the Raptors. TSN’s Josh Lewenberg adds that both the Raptors and Leonard wanted to get an extension done before training camp opens next week. The Raptors and Clippers struck a deal sending forwards Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks and a pick swap (2027) to L.A. for Leonard. The trade took a while to become official in the wake of the league’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers, but was eventually finalized earlier this month. The NBA announced a list of severe punishments for the Clippers, including the loss of five future first-round picks, a fine of $30 million and a yearlong suspension for owner Steve Ballmer for violating salary cap circumvention rules in a case involving Leonard, who paid $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits provided by the franchise for his uncle and former business representative, Dennis Robertson. Leonard fired Robertson and agent Mitch Frankel in June and hired Gaines weeks later. Robertson has been banned by the NBA from all business dealings. The NBA’s punishments came down after nearly a yearlong investigation into the franchise that “found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules.” Leonard led the Raps to their first and only championship in 2019 as they defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games. He then left to sign as a free agent with the Clippers later that summer and played the next seven seasons with his hometown team. Now 35, Leonard averaged a career-best 27.9 points to go along with 6.4 rebounds in 65 games last season. He was named to the All-Star team for the seventh time in his career. Leonard is a veteran of 14 NBA seasons and a two-time NBA Finals MVP, winning titles in 2019 with the Raptors and in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs.
