Kawhi Leonard’s return has put Toronto back on a win-now clock, but the first day of camp came with a clear boundary: he is done discussing the investigation that held up his move north.
Speaking at Raptors media day in a lakefront hotel lounge overlooking the starting point of Toronto’s 2019 championship parade, Leonard said he and the league, along with the players’ union, agreed that basketball should be the focus. The 35-year-old said the prolonged process had already kept him away from teammates and offseason minicamp work for 70 days.
“I know why some of you came,” Leonard told reporters in his opening remarks. “I want to move forward and concentrate on my time as a Toronto Raptor. I want to focus on basketball again.”
Quick facts
- Leonard has returned to Toronto after the trade was finalized earlier this month.
- He agreed last week to a two-year extension that can reach $115 million if he plays both seasons.
- Leonard averaged a career-best 27.9 points last season and appeared in 65 games.
- Toronto took Cleveland to seven games in last spring’s first-round playoff series.
- The Raptors’ health staff will manage Leonard’s workload with his injury history in mind.
Leonard’s first Toronto stay lasted one season, but it changed the franchise. Acquired from San Antonio in 2018, he played 60 regular-season games and 24 more in the postseason, guiding the Raptors past Golden State in six games for the club’s only NBA championship and earning his second Finals MVP.
He then left for the Clippers, returning to Southern California after the title run. His departure from Los Angeles followed a salary-cap circumvention case that brought severe penalties to the Clippers and contributed to the delay in completing the Toronto transaction.
The Raptors have not recreated that 2019 run, winning only one playoff series since — the 2020 first-round sweep of Brooklyn inside the COVID-era bubble. But Leonard sees a better foundation than the organization has had in recent years, led by two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes.
“I’m excited to be back,” Leonard said. “They had a really good season last year. I like being around winning, and I believe this group provides that.”
Toronto’s first-round exit against Cleveland still showed some edge. The Raptors stretched the Cavaliers to seven games, and RJ Barrett said Leonard’s history in the building gives the locker room a different kind of reference point.
“He knows how to win, and he has already done it in Toronto,” Barrett said. Barrett called Leonard a Hall of Fame-level player and said the team is confident he can remain the superstar he was last season.
Minutes will be managed
The central roster question is not Leonard’s ceiling. It is how often he can be available while staying fresh for April and beyond.
Leonard was limited to nine games in 2017-18, missed a full season after right knee surgery in 2021, and has not exceeded the 60-game regular-season total he posted during his championship year in Toronto. His 65 appearances last season offered a stronger baseline, and he wants to build on it.
“I played 65 games last year,” Leonard said. “Hopefully I can play more this season and add games in the playoffs, too.”
Coach Darko Rajakovic said the Raptors understand the assignment. He joked that he would prefer Leonard to log all 82 games and 48 minutes every night, but said Leonard’s age and medical record demand a careful approach.
Alex McKechnie remains the franchise’s vice president of player health and performance, giving Toronto continuity with the staff that helped steer Leonard through the 2018-19 title season. That experience will matter as Rajakovic sets regular-season rotations and rest plans around his new lead option.
Defensive ceiling rises
Leonard’s arrival also gives Barnes a high-level partner on the defensive end. Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, while Barnes said he felt overlooked after missing last season’s All-Defensive first team.
Barnes expects Toronto to pressure opponents from the opening inbound. With mobile defenders capable of picking up the ball full court, he said the Raptors can make life difficult for offenses over the full 94 feet.
“We can be really dangerous defensively,” Barnes said. “We have players who can move their feet and apply pressure all game. It can be scary.”
