San Antonio Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard has accomplished a lot in the last few years and will likely be pursuing a Superman contract over the summer. While he has a lot of potential on the court, off the court, he’s run into some issues in terms of inking a shoe deal. Multiple sources told ESPN that talks between he and Jordan Brand on a new shoe deal have come to a halt.
Leonard’s representatives and Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, came “very close” to completing a new four-year extension worth more than $20 million, but talks abruptly stopped. The reason is because Leonard’s representatives feel like the new deal didn’t reflect the star’s accomplishments in the recent years, sources said.
Over the last two seasons, Leonard has finished second and third in voting for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. This season, however, he’s only played a handful of games due to injury.
In his current endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP, earns less than $500,000 per year. This is significantly less than the deal currently on the table from the Jordan Brand. Right now, it’s unclear if Leonard intends to leave the Jordan Brand which is set to expire on Oct. 1. Sources close to the situation have said that the shoe company owns the right to match any competing offers.
