Chills. That’s the only way to describe the latest episode of Toronto Raptors Open Gym Presented by Bell. In the 9:07 video, the Raptors show Kawhi Leonard's arrival to the city following the trade being put through, showing his conversations with Darko Rajakovic and Bobby Webster. There's a ton of stuff to digest from this video, but to me, the biggest standout was Leonard’s message to Rajakovic about where he fits in.
During his first conversation in the video with his new head coach, Leonard makes it clear he’s here to help Rajakovic’s vision come true. “I'm not here to take over anything. I want to, you know, help your vision. Help Scottie [Barnes], whatever. I just want to win. If it's Scottie’s team, it's his team. I'll just go win and I can just do whatever it takes to help guys win,” said Leonard.
To some, this may bring up anxiety with the thought of Leonard trying to duck accountability or avoid major responsibility, but to me it’s the opposite. While we know Leonard was brought here to help push this group closer to another NBA title, his return clearly has far more long-term value than many of us expected.
Trading for Leonard wasn’t just a play for the now
Don’t get me wrong, the messaging in that video was clear that this group still wants to win a championship. Between Leonard making a joke about changing the championship tag on the back of his Raptors jersey from one title to two, and the countless voice-overs about how he moves the needle, the messaging was clear. But it’s nice to know the Raptors and Leonard understand that him returning as a 35-year-old superstar in a packed East doesn’t guarantee anything.
It’s not like when they traded for him the first time around, and he was in his prime, the Raptors were an established East contender and LeBron James had just left the conference. It’s different, and that’s okay.
The opportunity for him to spend the next few years alongside Scottie Barnes, who Leonard emphasized several times he’s excited to help grow and work with, is a win because of the long-term impact. Having a veteran who's won two Finals MVPs and been a top-five player in the world come to this team and want to help Rajakovic’s vision however he can is inspiring for a young group. Bringing in a former Defensive Player of the Year to mentor someone like a Collin Murray-Boyles matters for where this team is heading over the next five years.
Do I think this group can win it all this season? Absolutely yes. That being said, it isn’t going to be easy, so it’s important that we remember that wasn’t the only motive that came with trading for Leonard. Do I think Toronto will win a title with Leonard on the roster? Yes, I do. But that doesn’t have to come next season—it doesn’t even have to happen while Leonard is still the best player on the team. It could come with Barnes being the man, and that should excite fans because this trade is no longer about just 2026-27, it’s about the future.
Iron sharpens iron, and adding Leonard to this young, emerging group is going to help sharpen a ton of iron.
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