NBA 101

Kawhi Leonard to reportedly sign 2-year, $115 million extension with Raptors

Kawhi Leonard is staying put. The Toronto Raptors decided to keep the 35-year-old around for multiple seasons, reportedly signing him to a two-year, $115 million extension Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The move comes as Leonard was set to enter the final year of the three-year, $149 million extension he signed with the Clippers in 2024. Under his previous deal, Leonard was set to make $50.3 million during the 2026-27 NBA season.

Leonard’s new deal is worth slightly less than the max. The forward was eligible to sign a two-year, $126 million deal, but ultimately decided to take a little bit less from the team, per TSN Sports.

The deal also comes after a tumultuous offseason for Leonard, one that resulted in the forward being traded back to the Raptors, only to have that trade put on hold thanks to an NBA investigation looking into whether he received impermissible benefits from the Clippers when he originally signed with the team.

The NBA came down hard on the Clippers as a result of that investigation, docking the team five first-round draft picks, fining owner Steve Ballmer $30 million and suspending him for a year. Leonard was not suspended as part of the investigation, though was fined $700,000.

With Leonard eligible to play during the 2026-27 NBA season, the Raptors decided to move forward with the trade, which was completed in September. The team then decided to ink Leonard for the long haul.

The move marks a long-term commitment between the Raptors and Leonard, something neither side could agree on the last time the two linked up.

That turned out to be an extremely productive season, as Leonard helped lead the Raptors to an NBA championship. While Leonard reportedly entertained offers from the Raptors during that stint in free agency, he ultimately joined the Clippers in a deal that resulted in the NBA’s investigation.

For the most part, it wasn’t a highly productive pairing between Leonard and the Clippers. While the franchise made the playoffs multiple times and Leonard has turned in All-Star performances, the Clippers have yet to win an NBA championship.

That was the main goal when the Clippers originally signed Leonard ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season. Leonard was supposed to come to the Clippers, bring another superstar along with him and immediately vault the team into a championship contender.

Things looked good early on, as Leonard and Paul George led the Clippers on two deep playoff runs in their first two years in Los Angeles. Leonard, however, missed the entire 2021-22 season due to an ACL injury.

He returned to action the following year, leading the Clippers back to the playoffs the next three seasons. The Clippers, however, lost in the first round in each of those playoff appearances.

Despite Leonard posting a career-high 27.9 points per game and garnering MVP votes for the first time in four seasons, he failed to lead the Clippers back to the postseason last year. At 42-40, the team was forced to take part in the play-in tournament, where it was eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.

Given Leonard’s age, and the team’s declining performance in recent years, it was unclear which path the Clippers would take in the offseason. Given the investigation, punishment and Leonard’s age and contract situation, the team ultimately decided to ship Leonard out. While that deal was on hold briefly, the Clippers and Raptors decided to complete the deal after the NBA’s investigation concluded.

Considering all that, the extension is a risk. But given Leonard’s production, it also might not be the worst idea. In his six seasons with the Clippers, Leonard averaged 25.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He made four All-Star teams and received MVP votes three times. While Leonard is no longer in his prime, he proved he could still play at a high level last season.

The Raptors know how valuable Leonard’s on-court production can be. This time around, the team isn’t willing to let him walk after just one season.

Hawks reportedly trading Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard to Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith

The Atlanta Hawks are trading Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

The Hawks make the move to fortify their frontcourt a day after they announced that backup rookie center Henri Veesaar suffered a torn ACL.

Finney-Smith, 32, is a veteran 3-and-D forward who could earn a rotation spot in Atlanta. For his career, he’s averaged 8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks while shooting 35.9% from 3 in 27.3 minutes per game.

He played a limited role with the Houston Rockets last season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game.

The Hornets, meanwhile, add backcourt depth after trading starting point guard LaMelo Ball in the offseason.

Hield, 33, has seen a significant production dropoff in recent years from his prime, but he remains an effective 3-point shooter when given playing time. A 39.5% career shooter from 3, Hield shot 34.9.% on 4.2 attempts per game while averaging 7.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 51 games with the Warriors and Hawks last season. He’ll provide the Hornets with 3-point shooting off the bench.

The Hawks acquired Nembhard and and Luguentz Dort in the offseason trade that sent Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks. Nembhard did not play for the Hawks.

In 60 appearances including 27 starts with Dallas last season, the undrafted rookie point guard out of Gonzaga averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 41.5% from the field and 35.6% from 3. He’ll provide Charlotte with depth behind starting point guard Coby White.

Hawks rookie Henri Veesaar has a torn ACL

Atlanta Hawks rookie center Henri Veesaar has a torn right ACL. The Hawks announced the news on Monday.

Veesaar suffered the injury during a workout on Sept. 15, and imaging revealed the diagnosis. The news is a blow for the versatile rookie center whom the Hawks hoped would secure a rotation spot behind starting center Onyeka Okongwu.

Veesaar is a 7-foot center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor. As a junior at North Carolina, he averaged 17 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 42.6% on 3 3-point attempts per game.

Veesaar was projected as a late first- or early second-round selection in June’s NBA Draft, but dropped to No. 52 to the Hawks amid reports that his agency told teams he would not sign a two-way contract.

The Hawks didn’t announce a timeline for his recovery, but the injury puts his entire rookie season at risk. The Hawks are scheduled to open their regular season on Oct. 21 against the Orlando Magic.

Atlanta is coming off a season in which it finished sixth place in the Eastern Conference and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual champion New York Knicks.

Nicolas Batum announces retirement from NBA after 18 seasons

Longtime NBA forward Nicolas Batum announced his retirement from the league after 18 seasons in a video posted to social media.

The video begins with a quote from Batum saying, “After 21 years, it’s time for me to go home.” The 6-foot-7 forward then enters a gym with his son who asks if it’s true that his father is retiring from basketball.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Batum says. “I’m done playing basketball.”

The gym in Pont-l’Évêque, Normandy, had special meaning for Batum, being where he began his basketball career.

Batum, 37, was the Houston Rockets’ 2008 first-round draft pick (No. 25 overall) after he played two seasons for Le Mans Sarthe in his native France.

However, he was traded on draft night to the Portland Trail Blazers for whom he played seven seasons, averaging 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Portland made it to the playoffs five times during his tenure, advancing to the second round once.

Following the 2014-15 season, Batum was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 18.6 points and 8.5 boards with the Hornets, who made the playoffs only once during that span under head coaches Steve Clifford and James Borrego. Batum was limited to 22 games due to finger and hand injuries during the 2019-20 campaign.

Early in the 2020-21 season, Charlotte waived Batum and he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for the first of two stints with the team. Early in the 2023-24 campaign, Batum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a seven-player, four-pick deal that moved James Harden to the Clippers.

After 57 games with the 76ers, Batum reportedly considered retirement but eventually re-signed with the Clippers on a two-year contract. He appeared in 152 games for the team during the past two seasons, averaging 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game. He also averaged 42% shooting on 216 3-point attempts.

During his 18 NBA seasons, Batum scored 9.6 points per game with 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He was a career 37% 3-point shooter. He won silver medals with France at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Games, in addition to bronze medals at the 2014 and 2019 FIBA World Cups.

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