After all we have seen from Kawhi Leonard over the last couple seasons, is he worth a “Supermax” contract? We now know he is eligible for one, but does he deserve one, and is it in San Antonio's best interest to offer? Especially given the fact that a Supermax Contract for Leonard will amount to $219,000,000 over 5 years. That's roughly $44 Million a year!

Supermax Contract, what is it?

The supermax contract is a contract extension available to players who meet specific criteria. The deal gives benefit to the player’s current team in that they can offer $70 million more than any other team, giving the current team a potential advantage over the competition.


Player Criteria

  1. To start, an eligible player must be heading into their 8th or 9th season. There is also a performance element. A player may qualify for the supermax, if he does one of the following. He makes one of the three all-NBA teams or is named either defensive player of the year or most valuable player the previous season.
  2. He has made one of the three all-NBA teams or has been named defensive player of the year in two of the prior three seasons or the league’s most valuable player in one of the three prior seasons.

And this critical piece: He has to be on the team that drafted him or has to have been traded on his rookie deal to another team.

So, in the case of Kawhi Leonard, he is now eligible to receive this heavily regarded contract, and in Kawhi’s case, this amounts to a 5 year, $219 million contract. However, this could only come from the Spurs, the team which he wants out from desperately. 

My question is, after essentially benching himself last year for injuries, after doctors had cleared him to play, threatening to do the same again this year if the Spurs don’t trade him, and having a toxic team attitude, why should the Spurs offer him the Supermax?

Does any team really want to pay huge money for such a risky player??