Kawhi Leonard is a two-time champion, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a seven-time All-Star. He has already achieved a lot since entering the NBA as the fifteenth overall pick in 2011. Nevertheless, he may have to do even more to distract fans from the fact that he was never healthy enough to win at the highest level with the LA Clippers and became the centerpiece of a salary cap circumvention scandal.
Joining the Raptors and leading them back to Eastern Conference contention as his NBA career draws to a close is the best way for Leonard to make up for a disappointing Clippers tenure and give fans success to remember.
The trade to send him to Toronto still hasn’t been finalized, but all the reports steadily maintain that it will get done eventually. Toronto was already Leonard’s preferred destination after the Clippers. With everything that has happened since, he should come back north with some extra motivation to help get the Raptors to the next level.
Returning to Toronto is a big opportunity for Kawhi Leonard
In 2018, the Raptors needed Leonard to complete a team that lost in the Eastern Conference finals or semifinals for three years in a row. This time around, they need him to elevate a young team that just returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence and help 25-year-old Scottie Barnes as a go-to scoring option in a crowded Eastern Conference.
Those are very different responsibilities. This time, it may take more than just one season to actually compete for a championship. Still, if he signs an extension, returning to Toronto is Leonard’s best chance to prove that he can still lead a team at the highest level after three consecutive first-round exits and a play-in tournament loss with the Clippers.
He may even be able to make Raptors fans forgive him for leaving a championship team after just one season and retire with at least one fanbase behind him.
At the same time, however, the risk for more disappointment is great. The Raptors went all-in on Leonard by agreeing to a trade and then pausing it, watching several other teams make big moves as they waited for the outcome of the Clippers investigation. The franchise and its fans have a lot riding on Leonard and his ability to bring the team back into contention. If he is constantly injured and cannot take the Raptors on a deep playoff run, the disappointment will be great.
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