ESPN: Kawhi Leonard Eligible for Supermax Contract; How Trade Would Impact Money

The San Antonio Spurs can officially give Kawhi Leonard a five-year supermax contract, which would pay him roughly $219 million.

Unfortunately for Leonard, that potential deal goes away the moment he is traded.

As noted by Bobby Marks of ESPN, Leonard will not be eligible to sign an extension with his new team (provided he is traded) for six months. At that point, his new team can offer him a four-year extension that is worth just $108 million.

The numbers are vastly different because of advantages given to incumbent teams. For a player to be eligible for the supermax, he must fit performance criteria and be on the team that drafted him or have been traded to the team offering the max during his rookie contract.

Leonard would be eligible for a five-year, $190 million contract with his new, non-Spurs team if he waits until next summer to hit free agency. He could recoup much of the money lost by not taking the supermax by inking a shorter-term deal and re-entering the market in 2021. By then, Leonard would have 10 years of service time and be eligible for a five-year max starting at 35 percent of the salary cap.

The supermax has been seen as the only bargaining chip the Spurs have in convincing Leonard to stay in San Antonio. He has already requested a trade, and their relationship has seemingly reached the point of no return. Given the fact that the supermax won't make much of a difference if Leonard's representation is smart about contractural structure, it seems like only a matter of time before he's traded.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics have been the most regularly rumored trade destinations. Leonard has requested a trade to Los Angeles, which would bring him home to Southern California.