The Raptors have a fresh reason to believe they can manage Kawhi Leonard’s body, and it comes from Brandon Ingram.
That matters because Leonard’s return to Toronto comes with the same old question hanging over everything: can they keep him healthy? When the Raptors’ interest in Leonard first became public, Marc Stein reported that the team felt more comfortable than others about his injury history because they still had Alex McKechnie, the same figure who helped keep Leonard healthy enough to win a title in the 2018-19 season.
Now the Raptors can point to another recent success story. Ingram arrived in Toronto after a stretch in which he hadn’t played more than 64 games since his rookie season in 2016-17. Over the previous five years, he reached the 60-game mark only twice, and in 2024-25 he played just 18 games after an ankle injury.
With the Raptors, that changed. Ingram appeared in 77 regular-season games. He did miss the final two playoff games because of a heel injury, but getting him through that long of a regular season was still a notable win for the team’s health and training staff.
That’s the blueprint Toronto now needs to follow with Leonard.
The issue is obvious. Leonard has not been a reliable presence in recent seasons, playing 60 games only twice since leaving the Raptors in 2019. He was healthier last season and got into 65 games, but the concern around his availability remains very real.
Toronto does have enough depth to absorb some missed time. Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Collin Murray-Boyles give the Raptors a strong enough core to withstand a few absences, and the defense should help keep them afloat.
Still, Leonard is the piece that changes the ceiling. The Raptors need him around 65 games, at least roughly, if they want to push toward the top of the Eastern Conference. That means walking a fine line: using him enough in the regular season to build wins and chemistry, while also keeping him fresh for the playoffs, where they’ll need his minutes and his half-court scoring.
If Leonard can’t stay on the floor and deliver when it matters most, the trade and the extension that follows will quickly start to look ugly. But Toronto chose that risk for a reason. With the Eastern Conference expected to be stronger than last season, the Raptors didn’t want to be left behind while Scottie Barnes enters his prime.
At minimum, Leonard gives them a chance to keep pace with New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Miami, and Indiana.
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New Orleans appears to be in no rush to part with him, which is where Torontos challenge really begins. The contract and trade-value hurdles make this the kind of pursuit that can stall quickly unless the offer gets substantial, and for a Raptors team trying to add without overpaying, that leaves Missi as a difficult target to pry loose. [Read more 🡒]
Immanuel Quickley Debate Heats Up After Another Young Guard Cashes In
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Keyonte Georges new agreement in Utah adds another layer to that discussion, especially because the market has climbed since Quickley signed and yet the newer deal still comes in below Torontos on an average annual basis. For Raptors fans, its the kind of comparison that naturally turns into a wider front-office debate, because it is not just about what Quickley has done so far, but what Toronto paid to make sure it didnt lose him before he reached his next stage. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi's Raptors Return Just Put Huge Pressure On This Core
Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto, and the move instantly changes the mood around a Raptors team still trying to sort out where it is headed. Leonard last starred for the franchise on its way to the 2019 championship, and his return gives the club a proven two-way presence at a time when the Raptors are still leaning on young cornerstones like Scottie Barnes to keep building toward something more stable.
For Toronto, the fit is obvious in theory: defense, late-game poise and a player who has already delivered at the highest level in this building. The bigger question now is how much this core can absorb from Leonard's arrival and whether the organization can turn a short-term reunion into something that actually shifts the team's trajectory. [Read more 🡒]