Kawhi Leonard and Clippers are what Toronto Raptors could’ve been

The Toronto Raptors’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers is more than just a matchup between a team looking to make it to the play-in tournament and an opponent looking to get some distance between themselves and the rest of the pack in West. It’s a chance for the Raptors to catch up with old friends like title-winning superstar Kawhi Leonard.

While Serge Ibaka will not play in this game due to his back injury, Leonard appears ready to go, making this one of his first appearances against the Raptors since deciding to leave Canada after just one season.

Even though the memories of Lob City weren’t in the distant past, Leonard, in tandem with Paul George, was able to turn the Clippers into one of the marquee shows in the league, even if their postseason success last year didn’t match their lofty expectations.

Watching Leonard on the court for the Clippers has to be bittersweet for the Raptors, especially considering that the LA connection and boatloads of benefits the Clippers offered him left Toronto with a very small chance of actually being able to reel him in. What could have been in Toronto if he didn’t leave…

The Toronto Raptors underwent a major culture shift after Kawhi Leonard left.

As has been discussed ad infinitum, it’s hard to get above-average NBA players to stick in Toronto, let alone acquiring and retaining a superstar like Leonard. If anyone seemed like they were doing to sign long-term in Canada, Kawhi made a ton of sense.

He’s not a flashy player who needs the spotlight on himself consistently, he was a perfect fit for the Raptors schematically on both ends of the floor, and the local community fell in love with him. All of those factors were naught but ash in the face of the benefits California could offer.

It doesn’t matter where you are located. As long as you have a chance to win a championship, players will take less money to play for you. Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled top talent to markets like Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. You don’t think Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Pascal Siakam together would’ve helped the Raptors acquire some elite veterans?

Leonard didn’t want to come to LA by himself, so he managed to pull off the George trade and give the Clippers a nasty 1-2 punch surrounding by veterans looking for a title. Doesn’t that sound like a better way to construct a roster than whatever it is the Raptors did last year?

It remains to be seen if Leonard leaving Toronto is indicative of the fact that anytime the Raptors add a player of his caliber, they shouldn’t expect them to return once their initial contract expires.

Regardless, no matter how amicable the divorce was, Leonard’s departure knocked the Toronto Raptors out of the championship tier and removed their status as a destination for free agents. Ujiri will have to work hard to get that same magic back.