San Antonio Spurs: Grading The Offseason

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Apr 24, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) reacts after a shot against the Los Angeles Clippers in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

Re-Signing Kawhi Leonard

Last season, Kawhi Leonard won the Defensive Player of the Year Award despite missing 18 games. He led the league in steals, developed into the closest thing to a terror on the wing that the league has seen since Scottie Pippen, and given his athleticism, offensive potential and youth (he’s only 24), it’s a no-brainer that re-signing him to a long-term deal was priority No. 1 for the Spurs this summer.

With a five-year, $90 million extension, San Antonio got the job done and locked in the only player in NBA history other than Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award and an NBA Finals MVP Award.

Kawhi Leonard's numbers in March and April should help answer questions about his potential on offense: pic.twitter.com/AtlcuPGXZF
— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) July 4, 2015

Despite never playing more than 66 games in any of his first four NBA seasons, the slightly injury prone Kawhi Leonard has been healthy for every postseason and has been seen as Tim Duncan’s silent successor for years now. Paying $18 million a year might seem like a lot now, but it could wind up being a bargain in a couple of years.

Coming off a season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game — not to mention a playoff series in which he was easily the best player on the floor for San Antonio — the Spurs are confident he’s the future of the franchise, and rightfully so.

Grade: A

Next: Clearing Cap Space

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