PLAYA VISTA (Calif.) -- Kawhi Leonard stated that part of the reason he signed a 4-year max contract to stay with the LA Clippers rather than opting for a shorter deal which could have led to a more lucrative one was because he wanted to play this season.
Leonard refused to give any timetable for his recovery after surgery on July 13, to repair a partially torn ACL. This kept him out the Clippers' last eight playoff games. He will likely miss significant time. However, the team's star has revealed that he considered a return to the game this season when deciding to sign his $176.3 million four-year contract in August.
Leonard said that he made the decision to play because he wanted to. I think it was the best thing for me to do it one-and-1 and then opt out and sign long-term, five-year contracts. However, there are many concerns that this raises for you guys and your jobs. It creates storieslines that lead me to say that I am leaving the team [after one-year].
"I wanted to make some money and be able come back next year if I could." I wouldn't have taken the one-and-1, so I opted out for a five year.
The Clippers are not planning to set a timetable when Leonard will be able to return to play. When asked last week if Leonard will be able to return to basketball this season, Lawrence Frank, president and CEO of basketball operations, stated that "we don’t even break that."
Frank stated, "It's just that no one knows when you have to deal with an ACL [injury] recovery, the time frame."
Leonard stated Monday that it was difficult to go through the rehabilitation day-by-day because he is injured and "not really feeling like I was hurt." Leonard sustained the injury in Game 4 against Utah, after he was fouled while driving. Leonard thought he was fine, but the team pulled him out of the game's final minutes. After learning that he was out, he travelled with the team to Utah. Initial diagnosis was that the injury was a right-side sprain.
Ty Lue, Clippers' head coach, said that he hoped Leonard would return October 21st for the opener. He won't be available then, but that's the truth. We don't want him to be forced or put pressure on him. We want him to be able to rehab and get his season back as soon as possible. If next season is necessary, then so is we.
"We don’t want to force him back too soon. "We want to ensure he is 100% when he returns."
Leonard's injury was a factor in his free-agency decision. If he had chosen to opt into the $36million he was expected to earn in 2021-22, he could have signed a four year, $187 million extension. He declined the free agency option.
According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Leonard could have signed an $82 million contract as a free agency. He would then be eligible to sign a $55 million maximum contract with the Clippers over five years. Leonard wanted to be back this season so he signed a five-year contract.
Leonard was certain that he would stay with the Clippers. The question now is when Leonard can play again.
Leonard stated that Leonard was only referring to the day-to-day. Leonard stated, "Just working with staff day-today, then when that date comes, will we be ready for it and it'll go out to the public."
