"Now he can go back to load managing" - Kawhi Leonard signing contract extension with Clippers has fans up in arms

As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, LA Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has signed a contract extension, which means he will not be hitting free agency at the end of the season. Instead, Kawhi will remain with the LA-based franchise until the 2026-27 season.

After Wojnarowski reported the news on X (formerly Twitter), many NBA fans quickly gave their reactions.

Here are a few of the reactions from fans.

"Now he can go back to load managing. Only played all this games this season because of this extension," one fan said.

"Bad move he only played 20 games with them in 3 years lol," another fan reacted, referring to Leonard's history with injuries.

"No other team in the league gonna pay him a max to play half a regular season and 3 playoff games, makes sense," said one X user.

Meanwhile, other users said this won't result in wins for the Clippers or Kawhi.

"Does he ever wanna win again or..."

"An extension to always losing."

"Kawhi is never going to win championship now."

Of course, there were still fans who were happy that the Clippers and Leonard were able to reach a deal for an extension.

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Kawhi Leonard's massive contract extension could be a result of his durability and production this season

Kawhi Leonard's injury woes over the years have been well-documented and the subject of many discussions, especially since he signed with the LA Clippers for the 2019-20 season.

Kawhi only played in 57 out of a possible 72 games in 2019-20 and another 52 out of a possible 72 (both seasons were shortened as a result of COVID). He then sat out the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL. He returned the following year but only played 52 out of the 82 regular season games.

However, he has reversed this trend of missing games this season, so far having played in 32 out of the 36 games the Clippers have played. In these 32 games, Leonard has averaged 23.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 6.1 rpg, and 1.8 spg.

He has also shot the ball efficiently, converting on 51.6% of his attempts from the field and 43.0% from downtown. Based on these numbers and the fact that he has remained durable all season, it becomes easy to understand why the LA Clippers have offered Kawhi Leonard an extension.