Clippers’ Leonard back on market

The Kawhi Leonard freeagent sweepstakes have begun again.

The first-team All-NBA forward is now an unrestricted free agent after declining his player option with the Clippers that would have been worth $36 million next season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The decision was not unexpected and could be the precursor of Leonard returning to the team on a new contract when free agency opens Monday afternoon.

Leonard signaled the likelihood he would choose this route in December when he noted that, if healthy, “the best decision” would be to enter unrestricted free agency.

The chief reasoning is not necessarily because of a wandering eye but timing — Leonard has completed his 10th NBA season, making him eligible to sign a maximum contract worth 35% of a team’s salary cap.

If he re-signs with the Clippers, he will earn $39 million next season, or $3 million more than he would have earned had he opted into his player option.

More basketball

Serge Ibaka has exercised his player option and will return to the LA Clippers for his second season, The veteran center was the Clippers’ biggest addition during the past offseason in free agency but Ibaka was limited to just 41 regular season games with a back injury.

• The Miami Heat picked up their $19.4 million 202122 team option on the final year of the two-year contract of guard Goran Dragic, but bypassed a similar move with forward Andre Iguodala, making him a free agent. The Heat are positioning themselves to become front-runners to land Kyle Lowry in a sign-andtrade agreement once discussions are permitted to begin with the opening of NBA free agency on Monday.

• The Dallas Mavericks picked up the $4.1 million team option on center Willie Cauley-Stein’s contract, opting to keep a player who provides depth in a frontcourt headlined by Kristaps Porzingis. Cauley-Stein came to Dallas in a deal with Golden State before the trading deadline in 201920. He played 13 games for the Mavericks before the pandemic shut down the season, then opted out of the restart in the Florida bubble.

Baseball

The Washington Wild Things won their seventh game in a row, beating the visiting Tri-City ValleyCats, 5-2. Catcher Trevor Casanova went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs in the victory. Zach Strecker got the save, his 13th of the season and the 65th of his career, putting him five off the Frontier League record of 70.

Soccer

Miles Robinson scored in the 117 minute to lift the

U.S. past Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

• Przemyslaw Frankowski scored in the 10th minute and the 10-man Chicago Union (3-9-4) tied the host Philadelphia Union (64-7). … Robert Castellanos scored the tying goal for visiting Nashville (6-1-9) in his MLS debut in a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC (3-8-5).

• Portuguese midfielder Xeka scored the only goal as Lille beat Cup winner Paris Saint-Germain, 1-0, in the Champions Trophy.