Leonard's ACL surgery clouds star's options, Clippers' title aspirations
After weeks of uncertainty regarding Kawhi Leonard's health, the Los Angeles Clippers announced that their franchise forward underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a partial ACL tear in his right knee.
Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely, complicating his upcoming free agency and dealing a serious blow to the Clippers' 2022 title hopes. The long-awaited prognosis comes nearly one month after Leonard suffered the injury while driving to the basket during
Game 4 of a second-round series against the Utah Jazz.
The 30-year-old Leonard, who led a first-round series victory over the Dallas Mavericks, missed the Clippers' next eight games as they progressed to the Western Conference finals. He finished with post-season averages of 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
The timing of this injury couldn't be worse for both player and team: Leonard is set to be the biggest name on this summer's free agency market, while the Clippers just completed the most successful season in franchise history after investing heavily to build a contender around Leonard and Paul George.
What comes next for Leonard and the Clippers might very well represent the NBA'S biggest off-season question. Leonard has a US$36 million player option for next season, which he could pick up while undergoing his ACL recovery. Leonard is also eligible to sign a four-year contract worth roughly US$175 million this summer or a five-year contract worth nearly $250 million if he waits to re-sign long-term until 2022.
ACL recovery times vary, but typically range from six to 12 months. Throughout his career, Leonard has battled various lower leg injuries
Because of nagging injuries, Leonard missed an average of 33 games over the past four seasons and become associated with “load management,” the practice of limiting a player's appearances and minutes to protect his health. If Leonard were to be sidelined for more than nine months as part of an ACL recovery plan, he would miss the entire 2021-22 regular season.
There's a clear precedent for a player of his calibre opting out while injured to secure greater financial security. In 2019, Kevin Durant opted out of his contract with the Golden State Warriors and signed a four-year, $164 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets shortly after suffering a torn Achilles' in the NBA Finals. Durant then missed the first season of that contract as part of an 18-month recovery.
Durant proved to be worth the wait for the Nets, but Leonard's extensive injury history makes this a much more complicated situation. The Clippers went all in on Leonard two years ago, only to see the stakes and risks increase considerably.