Kawhi Leonard Signs $115M Contract With Raptors as He Makes Retirement Plans Clear

Earlier this September, Kawhi Leonard escaped the shackles of the LA Clippers and was traded to the Toronto Raptors. It's undoubtedly the ideal situation for Leonard right now, especially after the salary circumvention fiasco with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Despite the messy year-long investigation that could've ruined Leonard's reputation in the NBA, it appears that the Raptors are still dead set on locking in their 2019 NBA Finals MVP. League insider Shams Charania revealed that Kawhi signed a two-year, $115 million extension with the Raptors.

"Kawhi Leonard has reached an agreement on a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Toronto Raptors," Charania said on NBA Today. "This reunion will now extend long-term. This gives him three years and $165 million total on his Raptors deal. He also does have a player option in 2028."

Charania then revealed that Leonard is already preparing for his retirement. At 35 years old, Kawhi is rapidly approaching the twilight years of his career. By the time his new contract expires in 2029, assuming he opts in on his player option, he'll be 38, a common age when players decide to hang up the laces.

"But my understanding is that he fully expects to retire and finish his career in Toronto, and this deal allows him to do that," Charania continued. "Kawhi Leonard, I'm told, has made it clear to the Raptors that he wants this to be his last stop."

It'll be interesting to see how different his second stint with the Raptors would be. Back in the 2018-19 season, Kawhi led the Raptors to their first title in franchise history. Despite winning the championship, Leonard decided to go the one-and-done route and immediately left the team in 2019.

Despite his brief stint, it was nothing short of memorable, especially since his only year with the Raptors led to a ring. The question now is: can he do it again?

NBA Insider Expresses Concerns With Kawhi Leonard's Extension

Kawhi Leonard may no longer be winning championships, at least for the moment, but there's no denying that he's still one of the best players the league has to offer. This is exactly why the Toronto Raptors have offered him a hefty contract extension near his max.

While it's great that the Raptors have secured an all-time talent like Leonard, NBA insider Tim MacMahon expressed concerns. This is mostly due to Kawhi's injury-prone status over the past nine seasons. Since the 2017-18 season, Leonard has never played at least 70 regular-season games.

MacMahon understands how impactful Leonard's presence will be for the Raptors, upping their chances of winning the title this coming 2026-27 season. However, given Kawhi's injury-prone nature and his age, the insider feels that $115 million is not worth it. He even noted how a superstar like Kevin Durant took a smaller contract because of his age.

"Let's not act like this is not a massive risk," MacMahon said on NBA Today. "This is a guy who's played 60+ games, three times in the last 9 years… $115 million for a player with those durability issues, in his mid-30s, that is a massive contract. That's not a discount deal. A discount deal is Kevin Durant: a 2-year, $90 million extension. This is $25 million more than that."

Whatever the case may be, it's too late now. Leonard is already locked in with Toronto. The Raptors better hope that Kawhi won't get hurt mid-season again to justify their investment in the injury-prone 35-year-old.