According to BR, Kawhi Leonard's $49.2 million salary this season ranks among the worst of the year

When the Los Angeles Clippers signed ace wingman Kawhi Leonard to a three-year extension in January 2024, they believed he was worth every penny. At that time, “The Claw” was playing his usual brand of play: suffocating defense, smooth jumpers, and sharp playmaking. Most importantly, the two-time NBA Finals MVP was healthy and on track to playing the most regular-season games of his career.

Fast-forward to October 2024; that $49.2 million salary he’ll receive for the upcoming season as part of his extension might not pan out. Leonard is set to be out indefinitely as he continues to recover from the knee inflammation he suffered earlier this year.

Persistent knee troubles

This has been the persistent narrative that has dogged Kawhi in his last seven seasons. While he has delivered titles to San Antonio and Toronto, his health issues have been a burden on his teams.

“When healthy, Leonard is a franchise player. He has two championships on his resumé with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors,” Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report wrote . “The problem is that Leonard has long struggled to stay healthy, playing just under 46 games a season since joining the Clippers (including 2021-22, which was lost entirely to a knee injury).”

Kawhi looked magnificent for most of the Clippers’ campaign last season, averaging 23.7 points on 52 percent shooting and 6.1 rebounds. However, what was shaping up to be a landmark season for “The Claw” regarding availability ended in heartbreak when his knee swelled up later in the regular season.

The prognosis isn’t looking good

With Leonard set to start the new season on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time, things aren’t looking good for the Clippers and their hefty investment in the elite two-way player. It remains to be seen if and when Kawhi will suit up again for the Clippers. Judging from the fact that he has yet to be cleared for practices or any on-court drills, it may be a while before we see him back in action.

“In a perfect world (for the Clippers), he would give them nearly 70 games and help the team through a deep playoff run,” Pincus surmised. “But history suggests otherwise.”

Related: Clippers’ Ty Lue Confident Kawhi Leonard Will Play This Season Despite Injury Setback