Projecting Kawhi Leonard's Next Contract After Paul George's Max Clippers Deal

Paul George reportedly signed a four-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday worth $190 million, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, on top of the $35.4 million he'll make in the 2020-21 campaign under his current deal. 

That deal will include a player option for the 2024-25 season and will replace his 2021-22 player option.

So with George locked up for the long term, the question now turns to Kawhi Leonard: Will he also commit to the Clippers for another four or five years? And what will his next contract look like?

Well, don't expect Leonard to sign a contract extension before he can become a free agent next summer. Kevin Pelton of ESPN explains why:

"Even if he wants to stay with the Clippers, Leonard will be better off financially playing out the season, declining his player option and re-signing a new deal next summer using Early Bird rights. Because he'll have 10 years of experience, Leonard will move into the larger 35 percent max category, allowing him to make up to $39.3 million based on the current 2021-22 salary-cap projection—a substantial raise on his $36 million player option."

George, for instance, was already eligible to hit that 35 percent benchmark given his 10 years in the NBA, which surely played a part in the 30-year-old signing an extension now rather than waiting until the summer. 

As for what the money would look like for Leonard on a four-year deal after this season, we can use the projections ESPN's Bobby Marks provided for George's extension to get an idea of what Leonard could sign for on a four-year deal as well:

Granted, the COVID-19 pandemic has made salary-cap projections a bit trickier than in years past. But Leonard would likely decline sign a deal in the ballpark of four years and $190 million, like George. 

All of that assumes that Leonard would remain with the Clippers, of course. Given that the 29-year-old wanted to return to Los Angeles and helped orchestrate the trade that landed George with the Clippers, it would be a surprise if Leonard jumped ship after just two seasons, especially since the Clippers will be able to offer him more money than any other team in free agency.

But hey, wilder things have also happened in the NBA. And even if Leonard stays, he could choose to do so on shorter-term deals, maintaining his flexibility if the Clippers fail to reach their championship aspirations. All of those options mean the stakes remain extremely high for the Clippers, even with George's extension ensuring that at least one star will be sticking around for a while.