With the Kawhi Leonard trade officially completed, the Toronto Raptors can turn the page to training camp and the rest of the roster build. Leonard has already reported to Toronto and met with Coach Darko Rajakovic and the training staff, a reminder that this partnership is moving quickly from paperwork to the real work of keeping him on the floor.
That part of the equation is familiar territory for the Raptors. Leonard’s health was monitored closely during the team’s championship run in the 2018-2019 season, and his existing relationship with Vice President, Player Health and Performance Alex McKechnie figures to matter again. If Toronto is going to get the most out of Leonard, that connection will be part of the plan.
The catch, of course, is the same one that has followed Leonard for years: his injury history changes everything. Toronto will have to manage his workload across the 82-game season, and any major injury would immediately raise questions about rotations, lineup combinations and which player from the 905 squad might be asked to step in.
The biggest concern is Leonard’s knee, given how much time he has already missed over the past several seasons. His final year with the Spurs was nearly a write-off, with Leonard appearing in just nine games in the 2017-2018 campaign amid the ongoing rift between him and the organization as he was shut down because of a quadriceps issue.
That quad problem should not be confused with the ‘Zaza Pachulia incident’ from the 2017-2018 postseason. In that moment, Leonard rolled his ankle after Golden State Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia stepped in to close out the shot, and he did not return as the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated.
Raptors fans know the next chapter well. During Toronto’s run to its first championship, Nick Nurse leaned heavily on the infamous ‘load management’ approach with Leonard. He dealt with knee flare-ups, sat multiple ‘rest’ days and never played in back-to-back games.
Leonard’s next major setback came in June 2021, when he tore his ACL during the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz. That injury wiped out the entire 2021-2022 season and continued to affect his availability in playoff appearances for the Clippers.
Even with all of that, Leonard still logged 68 games for the Clippers in the 2023-2024 season, the most he has played for the franchise.
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The intrigue picked up when Love attended the KLow Invitational in Toronto and was seen around Raptors personnel, along with the team mascot, a small but notable sign of mutual interest. He is still available a couple of weeks before training camp, and Toronto would need to make any move work on a one-year veteran-minimum deal, leaving the door open without anything close to a commitment. [Read more 🡒]
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Burnett has some appealing traits for a team looking to add depth without much room to maneuver. He brings size, shooting ability and defensive potential, along with championship experience from his college days, which makes him a credible candidate for Torontos final two-way opening if the opportunity materializes. For a team trying to preserve flexibility while still finding useful backcourt help, his path is not hard to understand, even if the final decision is still waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]
Scottie Barnes Has A Real DPOY Path If One Rival Slips
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The road, of course, still runs through Victor Wembanyama, who is projected as the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year and remains the biggest obstacle in Barnes way because of his overwhelming length and two-way dominance. But there is at least a little daylight if availability becomes part of the conversation, and Torontos defensive ceiling could climb if its roster pieces continue to fit around Barnes the way the front office hopes. For now, it is less a promise than a path, but it is a real one. [Read more 🡒]