The Toronto Raptors have already made their biggest splash of the offseason, landing Kawhi Leonard in a move aimed squarely at chasing another championship. With Leonard in the later part of his career, the Raptors are clearly trying to strike now, not later.
That deal took some time to become official, but Leonard avoided punishment after the NBA’s investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers. As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “The trade sending Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers to Toronto has been made official after a monthslong delay due to the NBA's investigation into the Clippers for salary cap circumvention. The teams initially agreed to the deal on June 30, but it was paused while the league investigated allegations the Clippers violated salary cap rules in signing Leonard as a free agent," ESPN's Shams Charania wrote.
Toronto may not be finished, either. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale floated the idea that the Raptors should go after Karl-Anthony Towns, arguing that he would give the team the kind of offensive help that doesn’t have to come from the backcourt.
“The Raptors should put a pin in Karl-Anthony Towns' extension standoff with the New York Knicks while they're at it. He isn't always the defender we witnessed during last year's playoffs, but the spacing, driving, passing and rebounding diminish the need for Toronto's offensive upgrade to come in the backcourt,” Favale wrote.
Towns has already made it clear he’s unhappy with how things have gone in New York. The Knicks shut down extension talks and let the media know before telling him, and Towns didn’t hide his frustration.
“It was news to me. Very disappointed to say the least.
Let's state the obvious. It's business, but there is business on the court for us to handle," Towns said.
If that situation gets worse, Toronto could be a team to watch. The Raptors would be looking at a veteran NBA champion and six-time All-Star who could step in right away and change the equation alongside Leonard.
In Other News...
RJ Barrett Is Making Toronto's Next Roster Decision Much Harder
The Raptors have been searching for dependable offense whenever Kawhi Leonard is out, and RJ Barrett has quietly made himself part of that answer. In a difficult night against Minnesota, Toronto had trouble generating much of anything offensively, but Barrett still found a way to stand out, continuing a stretch in which he has looked like one of the teams most reliable scoring options.
What makes this more complicated for Toronto is the timing. Barrett has been productive enough to force real questions about his long-term fit, especially with trade and contract decisions looming, and his ability to carry a heavier load when Leonard is unavailable only adds to the case for keeping him around. For a team trying to sort out its next step, that kind of production does not make the decision any easier. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Kobe Walter Is Giving The Raptors Something They Desperately Need
JaKobe Walters latest turn in the starting lineup gave the Raptors a little of what they have been looking for early this season: a young wing who can stay active at both ends and make the game a little easier around him. Against the Timberwolves, he put up 22 points and added work across the box score, flashing the kind of three-point confidence and defensive energy Toronto can use as it keeps sorting out its rotation.
For a team still trying to define its perimeter identity, Walters rise is more than a nice early-season note. If he keeps building on games like this, he could become a real piece of the Raptors long-term plans, with next summer bringing the next major checkpoint in his future with the club. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Need More From Collin Murray-Boyles Than Defense
Collin Murray-Boyles is still finding his footing as the Raptors sixth man, and the early returns have been quieter on offense than Toronto would like. Through three games, he has averaged 5.7 points, and in a recent loss to the Timberwolves he finished with just three points while still giving the team a team-high seven rebounds, a reminder that his activity and physicality are already part of the rotation even when the shot isnt falling.
Toronto can live with some growing pains from a young reserve, but it also needs Murray-Boyles to become more than a defensive and rebounding presence if that second unit is going to hold up. JaKobe Walters start in place of Kawhi Leonard offered the other side of the equation, as he led the Raptors with 22 points and looked efficient from beyond the arc, giving the offense the kind of lift Toronto would like to see more often from its bench pieces. [Read more 🡒]