The Toronto Raptors finally processed their long-awaited Kawhi Leonard trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Bobby Webster wasted no time in ensuring that Leonard would be locked down for the immediate future.
Leonard signed a two-year, $115 million extension with the Raptors that will keep in Toronto until his age-37 season in 2028-29. Leonard helped the Raptors out a bit with this deal, as he took $11 million less than the maximum he could have earned in order to give his new team a bit more financial flexibility.
It's officially game on for the Raptors. For at least the next three years, they have the ability to compete with anyone and everyone in the NBA with Leonard at the tip of their spear. This is far cry from many of the middling seasons the Raptors have pushed through in the wake of their Leonard-led 2019 title.
Toronto Raptors sign Kawhi Leonard to two-year contract extension
Leonard is not just paying for a brand name right now. Fresh off coming in seventh in the MVP vote and earning a second team All-NBA spot, Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game with the Clippers last season. With Brandon Ingram now in LA, Leonard will be the team's first option when the team needs a half-court bucket.
The Raptors now can lean on four above-average offensive players in their starting lineup, as Leonard and Scottie Barnes will join a backcourt tandem of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. With the latter coming off a strong postseason series, Toronto may have the firepower to compete with the best of the best in the East.
The Toronto Raptors will try to compete for a title with Kawhi Leonard
The Raptors are leaning into the 1-2 punch of Leonard and Barnes not only being one of the best defensive tandems in the league, but providing enough offensive juice to give Toronto the dynamic half-court offense they have often lacked throughout the better part of the last half-decade.
Collin Murray-Boyles appears to be a major part of the team's future in the frontcourt, as does rookie Allen Graves. While there are some questions hanging over this roster, like how to work around Jakob Poeltl's albatross contract or whether either Barrett or Quickley will be traded to add another star, the floor appears to be fairly solid.
Leonard coming back to the Raptors comes with it the expectation that his second go-around will be a failure if the team is not at the very least in the title picture for each of the next three years. If he can turn back the clock, Toronto could reassert itself among the NBA's elite.
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