The Raptors’ hopes of adding Kawhi Leonard for the 2026-27 season come with one major concern: his health and availability. Leonard has played over sixty games only twice in the seven seasons since leaving the Raptors, including a missed 2021-22 season and a 2024-25 season in which he played just 37 games.
So, if the Raptors finalize their deal with the Clippers, they will go into the season with two big questions hanging over the team. Will Kawhi Leonard be healthy enough to be the difference-maker he has the potential to be? What will the team look like when he is out?
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, for one, is optimistic about the Raptors’ potential when Leonard is sidelined.
“Even if Kawhi plays 30 games, I still think this team is going to be very competitive night in and night out,” O’Connor said on the August 24 episode of his podcast.
Still, the Raptors won’t be able to fulfil their true potential unless Leonard is as available as possible. The Eastern Conference has gotten a lot better with LeBron James and Peyton Watson moving East and Tyrese Haliburton returning from injury. The Raptors need to be at full strength to make some real noise, or risk maybe even falling into the play-in picture. Just being competitive every game might not cut it.
When Leonard sits, it will be all about defense, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett
Scottie Barnes may not be able to sustain the level of offensive aggressiveness he showed in the playoffs over 82 regular-season games, but when Leonard is out, he will have to step up like that again.
Hopefully, he will have some help. RJ Barrett also stepped up in a major way in the playoffs, averaging 24.1 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.3 steals while Brandon Ingram struggled in the first five games and missed the other two. Nevertheless, his future with the Raptors is still up in the air. While he must prove that he can be a good fit next to Barnes and Leonard, any absences from the latter are a chance to prove how invaluable he can be as someone who can step up and fill that void.
Moreover, the Raptors will have to lean heavily on their defense when Leonard is out. They didn’t have a superstar scorer like Leonard last season, but still won 46 games behind their strong defense. Without a go-to scoring option like Leonard, the Raptors will need to force a lot of turnovers and bad shots and get out in transition as much as they can.
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