The Toronto Raptors are getting a familiar face back in Kawhi Leonard, and the move brings his story in Canada full circle.
Leonard is coming over after seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, with one year left on his deal. A number of teams had their eye on him, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, but Leonard made it clear he wanted Toronto again.
"I'm not really championship chasing, trying to find the best team that can win," Leonard said. "You know, I didn't want to put on a thousand jerseys.
The city took a liking to my family. I took a liking to the city.
Really enjoyed it. My son was born here, and you know, he's been asking me forever when he's gonna come back.
So, now he's back, and he's able to see it rather than me tell him the great stories that happened."
That connection matters because Leonard’s lone season in Raptors colors was unforgettable. He powered Toronto to its first and only championship, beating the Golden State Warriors in six games in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Now, seven years after that title run, Leonard has a chance to add to his legacy in Toronto. The Raptors look like a serious force in the Eastern Conference again, and the source material points to them as a potential challenger to the New York Knicks for conference supremacy.
Leonard should fit right into a defense that already has real teeth, especially with Scottie Barnes coming off an All-Defensive Second Team season. Toronto’s mix also includes RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Collin Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl, giving Leonard plenty of support around him.
And Leonard is bringing more than nostalgia. He’s coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points per game in 65 appearances for the Clippers last season. If he can keep that production going while still locking in on defense, Toronto could be staring at the kind of run that ends with another banner in Scotiabank Arena.
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