Kawhi Is Coming Back to Toronto — Holy Moly
Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor again.
I genuinely cannot believe it.
We all know what happened the last time Kawhi was here. He helped deliver the only championship in Raptors history. But beyond the ring — the fever around that team was something Toronto hadn't seen since the Vince Carter era. Jurassic Park was packed every single night during that magical playoff run. And since then, we've seen an extraordinary wave of Canadian talent entering the NBA.
Now he's back.
Can the Raptors Be a Legit Contender?
Set aside the draft picks traded to the Clippers for a second.
Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick for Kawhi Leonard is a SIGNIFICANT upgrade. Full stop.
NBA playoffs — especially late in close games — require a closer. Someone who can take over when it matters most. Think about what Brunson did for the Knicks on their championship run. Kawhi at 35 is not the lockdown defender he once was, but his offensive game is a step change above Ingram. And if you watched him last season, you know he is still absolutely lethal. Remember what he did at the All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in front of the home crowd — that was him telling everyone he still has it.
And this situation isn't entirely new territory for the Raptors either. DeRozan was swapped for Kawhi — and that worked out pretty well for Toronto 😂
Now think about this starting lineup: Kawhi Leonard. Scottie Barnes. RJ Barrett. Immanuel Quickley. Colin Murray- Boyles or Jakob Poeltl.
That is a legitimate contending roster.
The Raptors took the Cavs to 7 games in the first round this past season — the same Cavs team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champions. And to be completely transparent — Ingram had a poor series against the Cavs, and Quickley was hurt. With a full healthy roster including Kawhi? This team is real.
Toronto Is About to Buzz Again
This past playoffs was incredible — but it hurt watching the Raptors go out in the first round. Now with Kawhi in the picture and one playoff series of experience under the belt, the upcoming season just got a whole lot more exciting.
The city is going to be buzzing.
And whenever the first Kawhi Toronto Raptors t-shirt drops — I'm buying one. Heck, I might need the Board Man Gets Paid New Balance tee while I'm at it 😂
