When Kawhi Leonard is healthy, he is one of the best players in the NBA. He just averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals for the LA Clippers in his 14th season and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. The problem is that he’s not often healthy. This season was only the third time in eight seasons that he played 60 or more games. He hasn’t played at least 70 games since the 2016-17 season. At 35, worries about his availability only increase.
But the Raptors, who are reportedly very much interested in the opportunity to bring Leonard back to Toronto, have an edge. They already managed to keep the superstar healthy for a championship run once, which inspires confidence that they can do it again.
“The Raptors, though, still have Alex McKechnie in place as their vice president of player health and performance,” NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line on Sunday. “The highly rated McKechnie was considered a key cog in managing the availability aspects of Leonard’s lone season as a Raptor, which featured only 60 regular-season games but then the most minutes logged by any player leaguewide in the 2019 playoffs (39.1 minutes per game in 24 games).”
He also added, “McKechnie’s ongoing presence north of the border should give Toronto an insight and expertise regarding how to best deploy Leonard that other interested teams presumably don’t have.”
A healthy Kawhi Leonard could help the Raptors take the next step
The Raptors need someone to help their struggling offense and ease the two-way burden on Scottie Barnes’s shoulders to build on last season’s playoff success. A deal for Leonard will most likely send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and some draft picks to LA, robbing the Raptors of their leading scorer from the regular season.
But even at 35, Leonard is a better all-around player than Ingram, who isn’t the most durable player either. If the Raptors can keep Leonard healthy enough to be a difference maker in the regular season and lead the team in the playoffs, they could become a legitimate force in the Eastern Conference. Leonard would add to the Raptors’ stifling defense and give them a high-end number-one scoring option.
Leonard’s contract is up after the 2026-27 season, but he would reportedly be willing to sign an extension with the Raptors and stay in Toronto for several seasons, unlike in 2019. He would have to if he hopes to win another championship.
While a healthy Leonard would make the team better, most key players are still young and inexperienced. Barnes has only played seven playoff games as a top option; Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead will enter their third season; Collin Murray-Boyles just wrapped up his rookie season, and Immanuel Quickley missed his first chance to gain playoff experience with Barnes, Murray-Boyles, and the rest. Moreover, rookie Allen Graves could end up playing big minutes if Sandro Mamukelashvili leaves in free agency.
It will take more than one season to get this team to true title contention. At the same time, however, the Raptors wouldn’t be able to afford too much patience. A 35-year-old with a lengthy injury history doesn’t have a ton of time left to be one of the best players on a title contender, even though Leonard’s 2025-26 season proved that he still has plenty of outstanding basketball left in him.
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