Leonard explains contract decision

Re-signing with Clippers long-term means big bucks and allows for the chance that he plays this season.

Kawhi Leonard says he doesn’t use social media, and yet last August, as the free-agent superstar considered returning to the Clippers on a short-term deal, he envisioned speculation about his intentions going viral.

But outside noise wasn’t the only reason he said he agreed to a four-year contract worth $176 million to stay with the Clippers. For the injured All-Star, the long-term security might just pave the way for his return later this season.

Two months after undergoing surgery on his right knee to fix a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament, the 30-year-old Leonard said Monday during the team’s media day that he has no timeline for his recovery — but also indicated that he hasn’t closed the door on playing this season.

When asked why he opted for a four-year contract, given the shorter options the free agent could have chosen, including a one-year deal with an option for one more year, Leonard said that one factor was locking in financial stability in case “I wanted to be able to come back if I was able to this year.”

“The best situation for me, to me, was to do it one and one and then opt out and sign a long-term, five-year deal, but there’s a lot of