ESPN has confirmed that Kawhi Leonard will be returning to the LA Clippers.Leonard is currently negotiating the terms of the deal. He declined the $36 million player option to become a free agent, but was expected back to the Clippers. Aaron Mintz and ErikaRuiz, his agents, said that Leonard's decision to remain came on the same day Reggie Jackson signed a $22 million, two-year deal with the Clippers. Austin Brown and Ruiz also reported that the Clippers reached an agreement with Justise Winslow's agent for a two year deal.Leonard's decision not to return to the Clippers, first reported by Yahoo Sports on July 13, comes as the two-time Finals MVP has been recovering from surgery to repair a partially torn ACL. This kept him out the Clippers' final eight playoff matches.Leonard will likely miss a significant amount of time but the Clippers are delighted to have Leonard back and Jackson.After the NBA draft, Lawrence Frank, president and CEO of basketball operations said that Leonard was a person Leonard hopes to be able to share a long-term relationship. "... "... He had major surgery. He tore his ACL. It will take a lot of time, and we are here to help him.Frank stated after the draft that Leonard, Jackson and Nicolas Batum were all wanted back by the team. All four of them are expected to return. Batum and Ibaka agreed to a 2-year contract earlier in the week. Ibaka has already exercised his option to return for another year.Leonard's injury aside, the star forward was still considered the largest free agent, although Wojnarowski reported that he was expected back to negotiate a new contract with the Clippers.Leonard's second season with the Clippers saw him average 24.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, as well as 5.2 assists. A foot injury in the last season caused him to miss nine of the 10 regular-season games.The Clippers saw the potential of Leonard and Paul George before Leonard's knee injury. They were able to see their potential on the playoff stage. Leonard averaged 30.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while scoring 57.3% during 11 playoff games.The Clippers needed Jackson to return in order to keep Leonard out of the league indefinitely. Jackson will return for the maximum amount that the Clippers are allowed to pay Jackson according to the CBA rules.Jackson's career was revived this season. He stepped up offensively and hit clutch shots to help the Clippers reach the Western Conference finals. The Clippers' 10-year-old veteran was averaging 10.7 point per game and shooting 43.3% from 3-point range during the regular season. He emerged as one of their playoff stars.Winslow joined the Clippers following the Memphis Grizzlies' rejection of his $13 million team option on August 1. The Clippers hope that Winslow, who stands 6 feet 6, can help fill the huge void left by Leonard.Winslow only played in 26 games last season. He has also played in 37 games in each of the past two seasons because of injuries, including a season-ending hip injury that he sustained during the NBA bubble in Orlando last summer.
