Kawhi Leonard has had a difficult year, suffering multiple setbacks in his recovery from a quad injury that has limited him to appearing in just nine games so far this season.
The Spurs hope to have Leonard back at some point this month with eyes on a postseason push at full strength, but whether Leonard can play consistently at the level that made him an MVP candidate last year remains to be seen. If he can, San Antonio will be a miserable first round opponent for whatever team is unlucky enough to draw them, especially if they remain in sixth seed as they are now, but if not we’ve seen that they’ve struggled of late without him in the lineup.
Leonard’s injury hasn’t just caused uncertainty for the Spurs this season, it’s also coming at a very inopportune time for Leonard financially. The Spurs could offer Leonard a super-max extension this summer, but they will likely want to see what he looks like down the stretch run before extending that offer. Leonard is also seeing his sneaker contract with Jordan Brand coming up on Oct. 1, but extension talks there have stalled out over the two sides not being able to reach common ground on an appropriate salary.
According to ESPN’s Mike C. Wright and Ramona Shelburne, Leonard was offered a deal for four-years and just north of $20 million by Jordan, but the star turned that down and talks are no longer active.
Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, and Leonard’s representatives came “very close” to completion on a new four-year extension worth more than $20 million. But discussions broke down abruptly because representatives for Leonard didn’t feel that the new deal reflected the forward’s accomplishments and standing within the league, sources said.
Jordan will have the opportunity to match any offer extended to Kawhi should they not reach an agreement by July, per ESPN, but considering the money other top athletes make from their sneaker contracts it’s understandable why Leonard turned down said deal as a recent MVP finalist. For example, Kristaps Porzingis signed with adidas in 2016 to a deal that reportedly pays him between $3 to $6 million annually, based on incentives. Other stars that have yet to crack into the real MVP race like Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and Paul George earn more than the Leonard offer, per ESPN, and the offer is in line with what Blake Griffin receives from Jordan.
The problem for Leonard is that while his on court performance has been phenomenal, he’s far from a marketing dream being such a quiet star that doesn’t exactly possess an outgoing personality. Add in Jordan’s general reluctancy to offer its players huge deals or the opportunity to create a signature sneaker, which comes with the opportunity to rake in more money based off of the shoe’s sales, and you reach the stalemate the two sides find themselves at.
The question will be whether Leonard will be a coveted sneaker free agent that could get a much better deal from adidas, Nike or Under Armour. It’s possible and might force Jordan into an interesting decision whether to match or let him walk, but it’s not a guarantee, especially with his health questions.
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