Kawhi Leonard's improved health this season made the Clippers' extension decision an easy one
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.
The Los Angeles Clippers inked Kawhi Leonard to a contract extension Wednesday. The deal is worth $153 million over three years, according to reports.
The extension keeps LA’s best player in LA through the 2026-27 season and ensures he’s in a Clippers jersey when they open their new stadium next season. Before this season, it didn’t always seem like a guarantee to happen.
It feels like forever ago when Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA title and seemingly planted his flag as someone to be reckoned with for years to come. In a lot of ways it has been.
Enough time has passed for the same Warriors team he beat to completely collapse, build back into a championship winner and seemingly collapse again. The whole time, Leonard had been with the Clippers dealing with debilitating knee injury after debilitating knee injury. If those injuries hampered him again this season, I just wasn’t sure it was worth it for the Clippers to tie themselves to the two-time finals MVP with another contract.
Leonard erased those doubts with how good (and available) he’s been this season. He’s played in 32 of a possible 36 games. He has a career-best true shooting percentage. He’s averaging about 24 points on close to a 50/40/90 shooting split. He’s Leonard again.
This version of Leonard can lead a team to a championship. We’ve seen it. And with the supporting cast he has on this year’s Clippers, that’s very much a possibility. That’s why extending him now made so much sense. It went from a question mark to a no-brainer for the Clippers.
Can we turn off injuries for everyone else
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately, injuries are just a part of the game. They’re going to happen, and a few big ones were dealt to the NBA this week, with two of the best young point guards going down.
On the same night we found out Ja Morant needed season-ending shoulder surgery, Tyrese Haliburton took a nasty spill on the court, suffering what was revealed to be a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Tyrese Haliburton had to be carried to the locker room after doing the splits on a fall
Hope he's okay pic.twitter.com/Z2REIkW6eh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 9, 2024
The good news is Haliburton should be back this season. He’s expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks, and there’s relief he didn’t suffer anything serious, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This is so good to hear because Haliburton has truly been one of the NBA’s best players this year and a revelation for the Indiana Pacers.
On the flip side, the Morant news is just awful to hear. The dude literally just got back from suspension less than a month ago. It seems unfair, for him, for Memphis Grizzlies fans, and really for the league.
Yeah, injuries are part of the game, but they never get easier to hear about. Hopefully both players can return on the earlier end of their timelines and get back to their all-star level of play sooner than later.
One to Watch
(All odds via BetMGM)
Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images
Denver Nuggets (-250) at Utah Jazz (+6.5; +200), 10:10 p.m. ET
The Nuggets are on the road, but they aren’t exactly far from home, and they haven’t played since Sunday. This is Denver’s first game after two whole days off and they get a Jazz team playing their fourth game in the last six days, with the previous three all on the east coast. I’m expecting the Nuggets to get after it and cover 6.5 points in a win on the road.
Shootaround
— January NBA power rankings: The Celtics are better than everybody
— The 5 fascinating players chosen for Netflix’s Quarterback-like NBA doc
— A 2024 NBA Draft poll of scouts revealed an intriguing No. 1 prospect
— Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic went OFF on the refs after Lakers loss
That’s it from me y’all. Check back Friday for more Layup Lines.