The Toronto Raptors head into training camp with a fresh layer of pressure after landing Kawhi Leonard in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, and the next couple of weeks will matter a lot for how this group takes shape.
Toronto is being talked about as a team with championship potential, but the big question now is how the pieces fit. The Leonard move changes the ceiling, not necessarily the pecking order. Scottie Barnes has been the Raptors’ best player over the past couple of seasons, and that doesn’t feel like it should be up for debate just because Leonard is now in the mix.
Barnes is heading into his age-25 season, and there’s still room for him to climb. He has already made two All-Star teams in his first five years, and last season he added an All-Defensive Second Team selection while finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Leonard is coming off a year in which he averaged 27.9 points per game, a career high for the 14-year veteran, but Barnes still looks like the player Toronto should build around. If the two wings hit the way the Raptors are hoping, they could become the league’s best defensive duo on the perimeter.
Another reason for optimism is Collin Murray-Boyles. The second-year pro’s role is still unsettled, with no clear answer yet on whether he’ll open the season in the starting lineup or come off the bench.
What is clear is that he gives Toronto a lot of lineup flexibility, and that makes him one of the more valuable players on the roster. His play in the playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers hinted at a bigger role, and he could be called on in a hurry if Leonard, Barnes, or even Jakob Poeltl miss time for any reason.
The Raptors also still have a little room to keep tweaking things. They spent most of the offseason waiting on the Leonard deal, which left them with very little activity beyond the blockbuster itself.
After converting rookie guard Jaden Bradley’s contract, the roster now sits at 14 players, and Toronto could still make one more move before the season starts. Even so, the likeliest path may be patience.
The team looks solid as it stands, and the more sensible move might be to let this group breathe, see if it has traction, and then revisit upgrades at the trade deadline.
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Kawhi Leonards new two-year, $115 million extension gives Toronto more than just another splashy headline. It gives the Raptors a real runway, with a three-year window to chase a title while keeping Leonard in the fold alongside Scottie Barnes as the organization continues to sort through its roster and figure out the right mix around its core.
The larger significance is what this deal says about Torontos timeline. A player option in the second year gives Leonard flexibility, but it also keeps the partnership alive at least for now, and the Raptors have reason to think bigger than a short push if the fit keeps working. For a team still evaluating how to build a contender around Barnes and Leonard, the next few seasons could tell them whether this is a brief reunion or the start of something longer. [Read more 🡒]